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For Brandon Bussi, the road to the Stanley Cup was anything but conventional.
The Sound Beach native and 2016 Miller Place High School graduate completed one of hockey’s most unlikely journeys Sunday night, backstopping the Carolina Hurricanes to a 3-0 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup-clinching Game 6.
Bussi delivered the biggest performance of his career on the sport’s biggest stage, stopping all 22 shots he faced to record the first playoff shutout of his NHL career.
The victory secured Carolina’s second Stanley Cup championship and its first since 2006.
“You know, I didn’t let it hit me until the clock hit zero,” Bussi told NHL.com after the game. “There was a whole lot of yelling, and I don’t really know. I kind of blacked out there for about a minute. I can’t wait to look back and take in the whole moment again.”
Just a few years ago, Bussi was an undrafted prospect trying to prove he belonged at the professional level.
After playing three seasons at Western Michigan University, he signed with the Boston Bruins organization and spent several years developing in the minor leagues.
Bussi eventually found a new opportunity with Carolina, joining the organization in 2025 and working his way onto the NHL roster.
That opportunity grew considerably during the Stanley Cup Final.
With veteran goaltender Frederik Andersen sidelined by a knee injury, Carolina turned to Bussi during Game 3. Although the Hurricanes lost that game in double overtime, Bussi’s performance earned him the starting job for Game 4.
He never gave it back.
The Hurricanes won Games 4, 5 and 6 with Bussi in net. He stopped 81 of the 87 shots he faced after entering the series and helped Carolina contain one of the NHL’s most dangerous offenses.
His finest moment came Sunday night in Las Vegas.
Bussi turned aside every shot he faced as the Hurricanes closed out the series, becoming an unlikely championship hero after beginning the playoffs as Carolina’s backup.
His hockey roots run deep on Long Island.
Before beginning his college and professional careers, Bussi played locally for the Royals, Gulls and P.A.L. Jr. Islanders. During the 2017-18 season, he played for the Jr. Islanders in the National Collegiate Development Conference.
And despite becoming a Stanley Cup champion, his Long Island roots remain unmistakable.
When asked what meal he would choose from any restaurant on Long Island, Bussi went with a local favorite.
“The Matz from Se-Port Deli,” he told reporter Jonny Lazarus. “The sandwich. That would be it.”
Top: Carolina Hurricanes left wing Mark Jankowski (77) and goaltender Brandon Bussi (32) celebrate after a win over the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series, Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Candice Ward)
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