Brandon Bussi

Brandon Bussi's path to the NHL record books ran through some unlikely detours. A native of Sound Beach, New York, the 6'4" right-catching goaltender was never drafted, spent parts of three seasons in the NAHL starting in 2016, moved through the NCDC, took a shot at a backup job with Muskegon in the USHL, and played three years at Western Michigan University before signing a professional contract with the Boston Bruins organization in 2021-22. He spent four seasons in the Bruins system, earning AHL All-Star recognition in 2022-23, then entered free agency ahead of the 2025-26 season.

Florida signed him. Florida waived him. Carolina claimed him off waivers on October 5th. What followed became one of the more unusual stories of the 2025-26 NHL season.

Bussi became the first goaltender in NHL history to win 10 of his first 11 games, and the fastest to reach 20 career wins, doing so in just 24 games Brandon Bussi Pro Reads 1. Through 37 games in 2025-26 — his first NHL season — he posted a record of 30-6-1 with a 2.52 goals-against average, a .892 save percentage, and 2 shutouts. Carolina subsequently signed him to a three-year contract extension Brandon Bussi Pro Reads 1.

The numbers came with context. As InGoal Magazine noted in a mid-season analytical piece, Bussi's .871 expected save percentage placed him in the fourth-most difficult defensive environment in the entire NHL at that point in the season, with Carolina's three goalies occupying three of the league's four lowest expected save percentage rankings Myth-Busters 2025-26 Mid-Season Awards with Clear Sight Analytics. His adjusted save percentage of +2.0% ranked fifth among qualified goalies at the midpoint, and his 8.21 goals saved above expected ranked seventh Myth-Busters 2025-26 Mid-Season Awards with Clear Sight Analytics.

Before any of that, there was the mental work. In Episode 209 of the InGoal Radio Podcast — recorded after his AHL All-Star season, three years before the record-setting NHL start — Bussi spoke about where he most needed to grow. "Mentally was where I needed to grow the most. I've always been very hard on myself. I'm a bit of a perfectionist, in a way which obviously you can't [be perfect], but it's good to strive towards it," he said. He described how early in his career, losses and bad performances would affect his practices and subsequent games Pro Tips with Brandon Bussi Letting Go of Perfection Fuelled Run to NHL Record Start.

A key turning point came when he visited Stop It Goaltending ahead of his USHL opportunity, where he worked alongside players including Joey Daccord, Devin Cooley, and Collin Delia. Rather than dwelling on the fact that he had aged out of junior hockey without being drafted, Bussi described shifting his focus toward what was going right. "I had the opportunity to go to a USHL training camp. I could have been in a lot worse places as an age-out who really hadn't proven anything," he said. "And from that point on, I've kind of just carried that mindset throughout" Pro Tips with Brandon Bussi Letting Go of Perfection Fuelled Run to NHL Record Start.

His work as a goalie coach with Stop It Goaltending, working with players from roughly age six through college, also shaped his thinking about the position. "Everybody's different and everybody plays the position differently. And it's just all about finding what works for you," he said Pro Tips with Brandon Bussi Letting Go of Perfection Fuelled Run to NHL Record Start.

Bussi also revisited his on-ice habits as he moved up levels. He acknowledged leaning too heavily on athleticism earlier in his career. "I relied too much on my athleticism. While I feel like I'm a very good skater for my size, I was way too willing to fall on my butt," he said, describing a shift toward reinforcing technique in practice even when it meant conceding a goal Pro Tips with Brandon Bussi Letting Go of Perfection Fuelled Run to NHL Record Start.

In a Pro Reads video breakdown session with InGoal Magazine, Bussi analyzed a specific rush sequence and was candid about his positioning. "From where I start the rush, I think I am a little aggressive for my size," said Bussi, who stands 6'4". "I'm outside my crease and I'm 6-foot-4, 6-foot-5, so I feel I can play just a smidge deeper." He discussed his preference for playing with backward flow — a concept he called "recoil" — and noted its role in his game: "I don't like to be stagnant, shuffle-shuffle, hit a point. I'm kind of flowing around my crease and that's when I am successful and I'm making the right reads" Brandon Bussi Pro Reads 1.

And the improbable season had an improbable finish. When Frederik Andersen went down with a knee injury in Game 3 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final, Bussi stepped into the Carolina crease and won his first three career playoff starts to close out the series — capping a first NHL season that began on the waiver wire with his name on the Stanley Cup.

InGoal Magazine has covered Brandon Bussi in one Pro Read and two InGoal articles.