The Carolina Hurricanes have been perennial contenders for the Stanley Cup for years, but can never seem to get over the hump, with some fans pointing to the netminder as their weakest point.

Enter Brandon Bussi, who has taken the NHL by storm, losing just four of the 27 games he has played with a 0.908 save percentage. The 27-year-old has become the Canes’ go-to netminder, but it hasn’t always been that way this season — or his career.

Premiering in November after missing the start of the season, Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov had been battling an injury since the preseason. Even with the injury, Kochetkov put up impressive numbers. He had a 6-2-0 record in his eight games played, but ultimately made the decision to ease his discomfort.

“He’s been dealing with it all year. He’s decided to have surgery, so he’s probably going to be out for the year,” said head coach Rod Brind’Amour. “He didn’t feel right all year. He’s been playing great; that’s the hard part. He was kind of fighting through it, but doesn’t want to continue that way, so we’ll get it fixed and go from there.”

Carolina started the season with two more goaltenders in Frederik Andersen and Bussi. Also suffering from injuries, Andersen started the season with career lows as his save percentage dropped to 0.875. As for Bussi, no one knew what to expect from the newbie.

The New York native has been a free agent since the beginning of his career, bouncing from team to team. Starting with the Providence Bruins in the AHL, he put up decent numbers, being named to the AHL’s All-Star Rookie team during the 2022-2023 season. This past summer, the Florida Panthers signed him as a free agent, and by the first week of October, he was up for waivers, having never played a game for them.

That’s when he came to Carolina and changed the team and his career forever.

Starting his season against San Jose, Bussi only let in one goal and ended the game with a 0.941 save percentage. In his next five games, he tallied just one loss and still had a 0.912 save percentage. To say people were impressed with him would be an understatement.

He took each of his next six starts and went on to become the fastest goaltender to reach 10 wins in NHL history, reaching the mark in just 11 games. Breaking another record soon after, he became the fastest netminder to 20 wins, reaching the mark in just 24 games.

Standing at 6-foot-4, Bussi has taken up the tactic to intimidate players in the pursuit of a goal. Spreading his wingspan to take up as much space as possible, anyone trying to score gets less of an opening to put the puck in the back of his net.

“I’m thankful for my size, so when you have it, you got to use it,” Bussi said after a 3-2 home shootout win against the Philadelphia Flyers. “There’s a difference between being overly aggressive or conservative. Maybe trying to find that middle ground and using my [height] to my advantage.”

Even with his frame, he’s quick on his skates. Never one to shy away from leaving the goal line, Bussi is known to rush towards players, especially during shootouts. He has even completely lain down on the ice in front of other players’ skates to prevent goals, showing his dedication to both the team and his position.

I would just say he’s a gamer. He works his ass off, and you know, practices and competes for every single puck. He’s a great kid, too, so good to see him get rewarded here, and obviously, a really great opportunity for him right now.

— Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Mark Reilly

With his historic performance this season, Bussi has become a fan favorite, even earning the nickname “The Bus” in his first season in Carolina.

No place on earth shows its love for the goaltender like the fans in the Lenovo Center. Earlier this season, the Canes hosted the Florida Panthers, where Bussi let in just one goal and saved 15 other shots against his former team, ending with an impressive 0.938 save percentage.

That same night, Bussi got into an altercation with a Panther player, tussling with him and falling to the ground. But as Bussi got back on his feet, the crowd of red started chanting his name over and over again, echoing throughout the arena. It ended up being Carolina’s most dominant win of the season, dominating the Panthers 9-1, and the energy in the arena could only be described as buzzing.

We’ve only seen the beginning of Bussi. As the playoffs crept closer, more and more fans engaged in conversations about extending his contract, desperately trying to keep him in Carolina. Their prayers were answered on Monday as he signed a three-year extension for $1.9 million a year, staying in Raleigh until the end of the 2028-29 season.

Along with the agreed salary, the Carolina Hurricanes Foundation will be making a $10,000 donation to the Autism Society of North Carolina in honor of Bussi’s younger brother, Dylan, who has autism. Covered in white puzzle pieces, Bussi’s goalie mask is in tribute to his brother.

“The hockey world can work in mysterious ways in some sense,” Bussi said. “I’m fortunate that I got an opportunity, and that Carolina sees me the way I see myself. I’m really happy to be a Carolina Hurricane and be here for three more years.”

With a future as bright as his demeanor, Bussi has and will continue to impress not only Carolina fans but fans across the NHL with his story. Once a free agent being passed from place to place to an NHL record holder, the Brandon Bussi story has only just begun.

“It’s difficult to break into the league,” Bussi said. “Sometimes, different opportunities pop up in different ways. Mine happened in a way that doesn’t happen for a lot of people. Things happen for a reason. That’s always been my motto. I’m very fortunate that it gets to happen here for longer.”