Hurricane's Brandon Bussi Off to Historic Start

Prior to October, Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Brandon Bussi hadn’t played a second in an NHL game. Fast forward just four months, and the former undrafted goalie out of Western Michigan is off to a historic start to his career at hockey’s highest level.

Over the course of his first 22 games, Bussi has led the Hurricanes to victory 18 times. Just one glance at that statistic can pique the interest of the casual fan, but further examination reveals a historical truth. Those 18 wins over his first 22 starts are the most by a goalie in league history to begin a career. For a player who had been toiling around in minor league hockey for years, to now be lighting the world on fire in his first NHL season like this is truly astronomical.

Brandon Bussi has won 18 of his first 22 games in the NHL. That’s the most wins for a goalie in league history in that span to begin a career. #CarolinaCulture pic.twitter.com/cWOSr9Tqk9
— NHL News (@PuckReportNHL) January 19, 2026

While his teammates have certainly helped contribute to the team’s raucous pace over the past couple of months, Bussi’s performance in the crease deserves plenty of credit. He has recorded a 2.20 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage thus far.

The impressive play includes a shutout, too, which he accomplished in a 1-0 overtime victory over the Calgary Flames on Nov. 30. Additionally, he has allowed two or fewer goals on 13 occasions, which just goes to show how consistently he has operated up to this point.

An Unorthodox Career That’s Resulting in Triumph

Jan 13, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Brandon Bussi (32) blocks a shot from the St. Louis Blues in the second period at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images | Joe Puetz-Imagn Images

Bussi’s path to NHL relevance hasn’t been a straight line. After a successful tenure at Western Michigan, Bussi signed with the Boston Bruins on an entry-level contract. He reported to the Providence Bruins, the club’s American Hockey League affiliate, and spent the entirety of the season there. His time in Providence showed that he had the chops to compete at a high level, as he finished second in the league with a .924 save percentage and sixth in goals-against average (2.40). His efforts earned him a spot on the 2023 AHL All-Rookie Team.

Throughout the 2023-24 season, the Bruins frequently called Bussi up to Boston to serve as an injury replacement for either Jeremy Swayman or Linus Ullmark — the team’s goaltending duo at the time — but he never logged minutes in a game. Instead, he continued to feature heavily in Providence for the next two seasons before signing a two-way contract with the Florida Panthers this past summer.

It was not the Panthers who were his destiny, however, as he was placed on waivers in October and picked up by Carolina. And as the common phrase goes, the rest is history. Bussi is one of the best goalies in the league at the moment, and he’s an integral part of a Hurricanes squad near the top of the NHL standings. He’s the definition of a sports dream. Now all that’s left is for him to keep up the pace and help deliver Carolina a championship.

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