Bussi's journey to Cup win with Hurricanes driven by 'sheer will and desire'

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Brandon Bussi's long journey to the NHL has been well-documented over the course of his rookie season with the Carolina Hurricanes, but there are others who were rooting for the goalie well in advance of his arrival.

Brian Daccord, the founder and president of Stop It Goaltending, set his alarm for 4:30 a.m. on Sunday while on vacation overseas to watch Bussi in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights. Daccord has worked with and known Bussi for years and wasn't about to miss his first chance to win the Stanley Cup.

"He fought pucks off. I thought it was a performance of will," said Daccord, who founded SIG in 1999. "It wasn't a technical or a precision symphony. It was sheer will and desire to keep the puck out of the net. No panic."

For those who have known Bussi for years, his 22-save performance in the Hurricanes' 3-0 victory in Game 6 wasn't a huge surprise. It was a testament to his determination and relentless attitude that took him from going undrafted in the NHL to a Cup Final starter and champion.

Bussi played three seasons at Western Michigan University (2019-22) and then for Providence, the American Hockey League affiliate for the Boston Bruins, from 2021-25. The free agent signed with the Florida Panthers on July 1, 2025, but was placed on waivers and claimed by Carolina on Oct. 5. He made his NHL debut nine days later with 16 saves in a 5-1 win at the San Jose Sharks and went 31-6-2 with a 2.47 goals-against average, .895 save percentage and two shutouts in 39 regular-season starts.

The 27-year-old made his biggest impact in the Stanley Cup Final. Bussi relieved Frederik Andersen to start the third period of Game 3 with the Hurricanes trailing 4-0. They lost 5-4 in double overtime, but that would be their last defeat. Bussi started the next three games to help Carolina win its first championship since 2006. 

"I was a little worried because two days in between (Game 5) going into Game 6," said Daccord, who is also director of goalie scouting and development for the Detroit Red Wings. "I just wanted him to play because he's buzzing, keep it going, let's go. He was in the moment. He was in the now. Totally dialed in and focused. It was will and desire personified."

Before Bussi was in the now, he was at Stop It Goaltending in Boston, where he honed his skills starting around 2016. Others who worked for Stop It Goaltending around that time included retied NHL goalies Corey Schneider and Scott Darling and active goalies Devin Cooley (Calgary Flames) and Brian's son Joey Daccord (Seattle Kraken).

At that time, Bussi was primarily working with Cam Doomany, who was director of goaltending development and marketing manager with SIG from 2016-23. Doomany was in Las Vegas for Game 6 and admitted getting a little emotional when he was on the ice to see Bussi following the game.

"Brian had a mentorship program and Brandon was enrolled with that," Doomany said. "We gave him a place to stay, gave him a training regimen, workouts and he would have to work, help coach, do all that. He ended up getting placed at working at my center and that's how we started working together."

Doomany is now assistant men's hockey coach at Boston University.

"As the relationship grew, trust built, I started coaching him a little more," he said. "It almost turned into an exclusive thing, him coming to Boston in the summers just to skate with me."

Bussi also worked with fellow goalie Pat Schena on weekday shifts from 4-9 p.m. coaching youth goalies who ranged from 8-16 years old. He lived with Schena and his family for three summers in Boston. When Schena went to Boston University in 2022-23, Bussi took his bedroom at the family's home.

"We did camps together in 2016 and 2017, that's how we got to know each other," Schena said. "We would spend hours together at a time and that's where we all started.

"We had a pretty impressive stack of guys. Cory Schneider and Scott Darling were training there at the time. Looking back at it, we had an incredible group of guys coming to stay with us and train. When you have high-quality guys like that, everyone gets better over the course of time."

Schena and Doomany have been close friends with Bussi ever since those early days at Stop It Goaltending and will be in Bussi's wedding to fiancée Mary Raclawski next month. Schena, now director of advising at SIG, said it wasn't about if Bussi would make it to the NHL, but when.

"When he signed in Carolina and got his first game, then another game, then another, we weren't surprised at all," Schena said. "The people who knew him weren't surprised because that's just who he was. He'd done it before, not at that level but it's great to see. 

"It almost doesn't feel real but, just the type of player and person he is, nothing bothers him. We were hanging out during that break (between Games 1 and 2) and it was just two buddies hanging out. You didn't even know he was playing in the Stanley Cup Final."

When Bussi talked to the media following Game 6, he said that as big as it was for him, "it's almost more rewarding for all the people I know, all the people who have supported me, rooted for me, been there for me." That includes those from his days at Stop It Goaltending, who were there on the ice with him Sunday or watching from afar. 

"It was really cool to see him get a chance to go in and help the team in that game Freddie got taken out," Doomany said. "Didn't really know what was going to happen next but obviously Brandon being Brandon, he's so used to having to do things the hard way that these situations to him are fairly normal. It doesn't really affect him emotionally or from a performance standpoint either.

"It was really cool for me to see. It might seem surprising to some people, but that's just kind of how things happen for Brandon. He's one of those guys who will always continue to work, never says boo or anything about that stuff. If his name was to be called to get into the net and try help the team win some games or pitch in where he can, he's going to do his part."