After backstopping Carolina through a dominant postseason run, the veteran netminder finally secures hockey’s ultimate prize, cementing his legacy a decade after his standout debut in Anaheim.
On Sunday night, the Carolina Hurricanes captured their second Stanley Cup in franchise history, defeating the Vegas Golden Knights in six games.
After a photo opportunity with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, Canes captain Jordan Staal lifted the greatest trophy in sports, took a few strides with the Cup above his head, and passed it to former Anaheim Ducks netminder Frederik Andersen.
Andersen (36) started 35 games for the Canes in 2025-26, splitting the crease mostly with Brandon Bussi, who started 39 games, and with Pyotr Kochetkov as a distant third, starting eight games. Andersen wrapped up his 13th NHL regular season with a 16-14-5 record, an .874 SV%, and .69 goals saved above expected.
Andersen got the Game 1 start in the Canes’ opening round against the Ottawa Senators and cruised to the Stanley Cup Final with a whopping 12-1 record. He lost the net to rookie Brandon Bussi (27) after the Canes went down 2-1 in the first three games to open the final series.
Bussi took the torch from Andersen and led the Canes across the finish line, winning the final three games, with Andersen’s full support the entire way.
Though he was not the one who got mobbed by teammates once the clock ran out, Andersen was monumentally impactful throughout the Canes’ journey, and his ring will be well-deserved.
Andersen was drafted by the Ducks (87th overall in 2012) after he re-entered the draft, having ironically been drafted by the Canes (187th in ’10) two years prior, but wasn’t signed.
He immediately made the jump to North America in 2012 and played a year for the Norfolk Admirals of the AHL before he was called up to Anaheim to back up Jonas Hiller in the NHL for the 2013-14 season.
His time in Anaheim was brief, and he only lasted three years, as he was ultimately (and possibly regrettably) rendered a stopgap goaltender to bridge the gap between Hiller’s tenure and a young John Gibson’s rise to stardom.
His trademark includes utilizing his 6-foot-4 frame and knowledge of angles to play an efficient and effective goaltending style, rarely requiring himself to make spectacular saves. He, however, had a habit of allowing a shot to squeak through him at less-than-ideal times in big games. Ultimately, he proved to be one of the more reliable goaltenders of his generation with impressive longevity.
As a member of the Ducks, Andersen started 114 games, made 125 appearances, posted a 77-26-12 record, and a .918 SV%. He was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs on June 20, 2016, in exchange for a 2016 first-round pick (Sam Steel) and a 2017 second-round pick (Max Comtois).
With the Ducks, Andersen made the NHL’s all-rookie team in 2013-14, won the Jennings Trophy in 2015-16, and in 2014-15, he backstopped the Ducks to their deepest playoff run to date since winning the Stanley Cup in 2007.
He went on to win one more Jennings in 2021-22, is a two-time all-star, and is now a Stanley Cup Champion. It’s unclear what his future holds, but if the 36-year-old Danish goaltender decides to hang up the pads, he’ll have a career full of spectacular accomplishments to look back on.