Perseverance & Perspective Key On Andersen's Journey To 500 NHL Games

RALEIGH, N.C. - Appearing in an NHL game - even if it's just for eight seconds - is an achievement within itself. It takes years of hard work, involving sacrifice from not only the individual but from many others to make an appearance in the best league in the world.

In the physically taxing position of a goaltender, a litany of factors has to fall perfectly in line to reach one game and then stay in the league. There's a reason why just 84 (9.5%) of the 883 goaltenders to play in the NHL have gone on to reach the 500-game milestone.

But on Monday, Jan. 20, Frederik Andersen became the latest backstop to reach the mark.

"It means that you've been in the league for a long time," Andersen started with a smile when asked about reaching the occasion. "You've got to make it to the league first. That's what you're dreaming about growing up. You dream about making it, winning a cup, and you have all of these pipe dreams, but you don't know if they're attainable."

It's hard to see your dreams as attainable when you haven't witnessed anyone with a similar background reach those goals before.

Born and raised in Denmark, there were no NHLers from Andersen's home country for him to look up to as he began his journey in hockey.

Poul Popiel - a defenseman who played the bulk of his 225 NHL games from 1965-1972 - was born in Denmark but had acquired American citizenship before making his debut. It wasn't until Frans Nielsen broke into the league during the 2006-07 season that Danes had a citizen of their own in the league.

"That's when it was like, 'Oh, people from Denmark can actually make it.' You don't know how far you are from it until you actually experience it," Andersen recalled. "I had that unsure same feeling (of being unable to make it) until I played well in Demark. I started to play well in international play and then I got a chance to play in Sweden. Even then though, I remember feeling like, 'Well, do I have what it takes to make it all the way?'"

Although Andersen didn't have any Danish NHLers to watch, he did have his father, Ernst, who had a successful career as a goaltender in their native country, to model his game after.

Playing many seasons in Denmark's top league, "Freddie" of course cites his dad as one of the biggest reasons for his time in the sport.

"It's fun thinking about all the help I've had from him," he said, again with a smile. "Growing up in a smaller hockey country, you don't have access to some of the stuff that maybe some others did every day, like goalie coaches, but for me, I was lucky to have my dad."

Ernst was instrumental in the growth of his son's game, even when it was not always smooth sailing.

Originally drafted by the Hurricanes in 2010, Andersen and the team were unable to come to terms on an agreement. As a seventh-round pick, his aspirations of an NHL career could have gone sideways right then and there.

Instead, he continued working on his craft, playing one final season in Denmark's top league before following that up with an absurd .943 save percentage over 39 games in Sweden's top league as a 22-year-old.

Entering the draft again in 2012, this time the Anaheim Ducks snatched him in the third round and were able to bring him to North America shortly thereafter.

After playing one full season with the Norfolk Admirals, then Anaheim's American Hockey League affiliate, Andersen was then introduced to one of the men who he credits as having the biggest impact on his career.

Scot Prohaska, an Athletic Performance Specialist based out of California, took the goaltender's abilities to a new level.

"Outside of my dad, he's had probably the single biggest impact on my career. He's helped me stay in the league this long and helped me perform the way I have," Andersen said as he spoke glowingly of the relationship.

Improving both his mental and physical capabilities, Prohaska played a key role in Andersen not only becoming the first Danish goaltender to play in the best league in the world but also starting his NHL career with five consecutive wins and going a remarkable 55-17-5 in his first two seasons in the league.

"He taught me how to think and how to live a little more honed in on my end goal," Andersen continued reflecting. "He taught me to make better decisions that would help me bring me toward my goal, not just hope. He taught me to do everything with intention and as our relationship has evolved, he's continued to help me gain knowledge."

Winning the William M. Jennings Trophy for the first time in his career with his then-partner John Gibson following the 2015-16 season, it was then time for Andersen to become a number one.

Moved to Toronto, he showed he was ready for that next step from 2017-2021, ranking top ten among qualified NHL goalies in games played (268 - 4th), starts (267 - 3rd), wins (149 - 4th), and save percentage (.914 - 10th).

Then electing to come to Raleigh ahead of the 2021-22 season, Andersen's been good when he's been able to be on the ice.

74-28-4 with a .918 save percentage in a Canes sweater and earning an All-Star nod (2022) along the way, the stint has not come without times of struggle. Robbed of an opportunity to play in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs due to a knee injury, a scarier situation arose last season when a blood-clotting issue put him out of game action for over four months.

"That's why I'm always talking about taking things day by day. Things are going to happen to you, sometimes they're a blessing, sometimes they're a curse," Andersen said of last season's challenge. "Sometimes they're a blessing in disguise."

Diagnosed with deep-vein thrombosis and subsequent pulmonary embolism, Andersen was dealing with pain in his lungs and breathing issues before being told he would need to be off the ice for three to six months.

"It was a lot of meetings, a lot of doctors, and all that kind of stuff. We had to figure out what the right decisions were for things, we had to learn what the right approaches were," he shared. "I think it helps that I'm naturally pretty curious. I wouldn't say that I enjoyed learning as much as I did about blood clots and all of that stuff, but I definitely took it seriously and tried to educate myself on them."

Returning in time to go 13-2 during the regular season and shoulder the load for the Canes during the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Andersen wishes he could've helped the team have better success in the postseason, but his victory of being able to get back on the ice at all is not lost on him.

"Last year was an eye-opener for me and a reminder not to take anything for granted in hockey, let alone in life, right? (The blood clots) could have been close to being fatal and that could have been it," he explained. "Sometimes you forget about it, but it is good to have that in the baggage to remember how lucky we are and how lucky I am to still be playing. Sometimes you have to put things into perspective."

Although he admittedly "hates" reminiscing mid-season and is always trying to stay present on what's next, he may take a moment this week to think about the journey that's been.

"For me, it's about how many people have helped get you where you are, where you needed to be, and how many people you've had a chance to meet in order to make it," Andersen said when asked of what the occasion means to him. "I think every hockey player has a great hockey family that's helped along the way."

Naturally, the next question is, how long does he want to continue to play for?

Careful of "watering certain seeds" in his mind, he is quick to reference how much the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics mean to him, where Denmark will participate in ice hockey for the first time.

Andersen helped his country qualify for the tournament in September, playing in and winning all three games over Great Britain, Japan, and Norway.

"I think it would be special to have a chance to go there and experience that. That's obviously another two years away though," he said.

That's a bridge he'll cross when he gets to it.

As for the here and now, he'll get to celebrate his milestone with members of his family on Thursday, Jan. 30 when the Canes honor Andersen with a pre-game ceremony before taking on the Blackhawks.

"It's something that I think later in life I'll be able to be proud of," Andersen finished. "That feeling of just making it to the NHL was pretty special. All of a sudden, 12 years later... [you're playing in your 500th game.]"