There's no shortage of words that have been written in regard to Brandon Bussi's journey to this point. In the short-term, this past week, he's gone 3-0 in his first three Stanley Cup Final [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/historic-16-3-carolina-hurricanes-shut-out-vegas-to-win-stanley-cup] starts, lifting the Carolina Hurricanes to their second-ever Stanley Cup [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/boston-bruins/latest-news/hurricanes-win-the-stanley-cup-multiple-former-bs-crowned]. Off the ice, others discovered when still in college at Western Michigan, Bussi worked at a Chipotle location for a summer job. Sunday night, that journey ended with the cherry of all cherries on top, a shutout performance to clinch the Stanley Cup [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/boston-bruins/latest-news/former-bruin-scores-monster-goal-in-game-6-of-stanley-cup-finals]. Bussi made 22 saves, and stole the show, keeping Carolina firmly in control. Postgame, he gave multiple powerful interviews. On Sportscenter with Scott Van Pelt, Bussi told everyone to "never give up, always have fun." It's easy to forget Bussi played 111 games for the Providence Bruins, and 4 with the Maine Mariners. Just 12 months ago, Bussi sat as Boston's fourth-string goalie, stuck behind Jeremy Swayman and Joonas Korpisalo, and then getting eclipsed by Michael DiPietro. Heading into free agency, he just wanted a chance. The Florida Panthers gave it, then waived him very early in the season. The Hurricanes pounced, and the rest is history. Bussi went 31-6-2 in the regular season. He went 3-0 as a starter in the Stanley Cup Final. It's one of the best stories in all hockey, as he continues to ascend. With uncertainty surrounding Carolina's future in net, Bussi's three-year extension guarantees he'll be a major fixture of that. Now, the summer begins in earnest for the entire NHL. The NHL Draft is less than two weeks away, with free agency 16 days away. It's going to get real, very quickly.
