Kristen ShiltonApr 2, 2026, 07:30 AM ETCloseKristen Shilton is a national NHL reporter for ESPN.Follow on XMultiple Authors
Carolina Hurricanes vs. Calgary Flames: Game Highlights (1:18)Carolina Hurricanes vs. Calgary Flames: Game Highlights (1:18)
play0:32Brandon Bussi secures Carolina’s win with a great saveBrandon Bussi makes beautiful save
The goaltender, now with the Carolina Hurricanes, had a history of taking artistic license with his gear. It’s a rarity of the sport afforded almost exclusively to netminders, and Bussi took advantage by tinkering with custom mask designs.
The native of Sound Beach, New York, developed the mask highlighting autism — his last at WMU — in collaboration with Vice Design’s Allen Schneider. Bussi brought it with him as a keepsake from his three-year tenure as a Bronco. It became inspiration for subsequent efforts, as he intended to keep churning out fresh patterns when he turned full-time pro in 2022 with the American Hockey League’s Providence Bruins.
Bussi opened a new chapter of his career while maintaining old traditions, and he evolved his artwork to reflect autism’s shifting symbolism. It was crucial to him that each mask reflects his ongoing encounters with people in the autistic community. Their influences morphed into inspiration to shine the brightest spotlight possible on a cause he felt called to champion.
“[Dylan] made me grow as a person,” Bussi said. “From when I was a kid, it was an unbelievable relationship; different, but great and unique. It forced me to mature at a young age and see the world differently. It’s guided me and it’s a story I share to try and help people understand what he goes through.”
“My thing is just not getting too ahead of myself,” he said. “I don’t know. I’m just really focusing on the now, not looking too far ahead and not looking too far back in the past. Sure, there’s been some success, but I think I know if I’m not successful, then I won’t be here after a while. So I just go day by day and just focus on what I’m doing that day.”
BUSSI DOWNPLAYED THE DAUNTING PARTS of his journey from unknown name to overnight fame. He didn’t reach the NHL until October — at 27 years old. But somehow, he immediately excelled, broke records and defied the odds there — an unheralded, undrafted player claimed off waivers as insurance who rapidly became an NHL starter. He earned his 21st victory of the season against Los Angeles on Feb. 1 to set a record for most wins by a goalie through their first 25 career games.
“There’s a fine balance there, right? I’m not, like, scared, of losing my position, but I think this lifestyle won’t be normal to me,” Bussi said. “And that’s OK. From where I’ve come from, I’m in a unique position. Being around the guys and our culture and our day-to-day operations and playing, that is normal now. I’m very comfortable here. I’m happy here. I’m glad I can be here. But the overall lifestyle that we have won’t be normal. And maybe that’s a good thing for me.”
Bussi can achieve almost zen levels of calm — and an appreciation for life’s bigger picture. Bussi needed to help take care of Dylan, who is nonspeaking, by recognizing that he required specific means of communication. They’ve used tablets to write messages, and Dylan can acknowledge both gestures and what’s being said to him.
The frustration, Bussi said, is in Dylan’s inability to respond and be understood how he wants to. Many families with autistic members face that, and Bussi acknowledges he hasn’t always reacted with grace to Dylan’s traits.
“Growing up, there were a handful of times where people were not as understanding of his situation,” Bussi said. “They would look over and stare [at us] and, truthfully, as a kid, I was a little bit embarrassed because I didn’t understand it at the time. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve gotten to see so many communities that support [autistic people].
“It’s been so nice to see how people with autism have been able to continue their lives, and for me, I love to see them also playing sports as well.”
THAT SENTIMENT EXTENDS for Bussi beyond his personal life and well into his circuitous professional one, a slow build toward where he stands now.
Bussi committed to Western Michigan ahead of the 2019-20 season and enjoyed a strong stint that included leading the Broncos in 2022 to their first NCAA tournament win. Bussi decided to forgo his senior season from there and, in March 2022, signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Boston Bruins.
That was the end of Bussi’s run with Boston’s organization. In July 2025, he signed a one-year, two-way contract with Florida. The Panthers had Bussi three months before placing him on waivers. Carolina picked him up, and within days, Bussi was on the Hurricanes’ opening night roster, filling in behind Frederik Andersen for the injured Pyotr Kochetkov. That was just the beginning.
Bussi was 23-3-1 with a .908 SV% and 2.16 GAA on Feb. 16 when Carolina presented the first multiyear contract of his pro career, a three-year pact worth $5.7 million. The Hurricanes celebrated by making a $10,000 donation to the Autism Society of North Carolina.
“It’s means a lot to support those [chapters] of the cause,” Bussi said. “I think having groups that are so inclusive, that provide what these kids need, while also being able to put them in the world to do the ‘normal’ things, maybe with a little bit of assistance, it’s great to see.”
“You never, at the end of the day, know what you have until they get an opportunity,” Hurricanes goalie coach Paul Schonfelder said. “And it’s not like one game; it’s like you need to give them 10 games for them to be comfortable and really see what you have. Some guys don’t get that opportunity, and Bussi got it here.
“I’ll give our Roddy full credit because most coaches would probably wait [to play him], lean on the other guy, but they threw him in right away, and he played well. He’s earned everything he’s gotten.”
Schonfelder said he believes Bussi was unfairly “pigeonholed” and viewed by some observers as a “good No. 3.” Boston didn’t give Bussi an NHL shot in three years. That is enough to make other teams wary of a player’s ability at the next level. Schonfelder — with Carolina since 2021 — said the club had tapped Bussi as a player of interest so it had an inkling of what to expect.
“I’ve always had confidence in myself,” he said. “In my many years in the AHL, I felt like I was a good goalie that could step into the NHL and do well. So I’ve never had any doubt. It was a unique journey. But I’m here, and I just have to do my job. I don’t have to be anything more than myself.”
Brandon Bussi secures Carolina’s win with a great saveBrandon Bussi makes beautiful save
Brandon Bussi secures Carolina’s win with a great save
When Bussi’s numbers dipped ahead of the Olympic break in February, he leaned on his positivity. He and the Hurricanes found ways to win. That changed in March as Bussi turned in the first losing streak of his season through three consecutive defeats allowing three or more goals.
“He’s gone through adversity where maybe he’s given up a goal early in the game, and he just goes with the flow and finds his way out of it,” Schonfelder said. “He doesn’t let a lot affect him. You know he’s going to work hard. You see his character. He’s everything you want in a teammate and as a player to coach.”
Bussi got back in the win column, recording an .885 SV% in Carolina’s 4-3 overtime victory in Toronto on March 20. Afterward, Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube lamented how his team didn’t get a critical save to secure a victory. Doing exactly that is what the Hurricanes have come to rely on from Bussi.
“He makes some tough, big saves in games,” defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere said. “That’s the biggest thing with him where, no matter what goes on before, he’s making that save when we need it.”
Gostisbehere has patrolled multiple NHL blue lines in the past decade, before a multitude of netminders, and he found Bussi to be a study in contradiction from off-ice persona to on-ice performer.
“He’s the nicest guy in the world, so pure. You just want to protect him and his fiancée [Mary] at all costs,” Gostisbehere said. “But then he’s an aggressive goalie out there. He comes out to play a lot of pucks, he’s challenging guys, and he’s really good at reading plays. Everything he’s done for us this year has been incredible. We’re lucky to have him.”
Bussi credits Carolina with making him and Mary “feel like family” from the day he was picked up. They are living together in Raleigh full-time, another first in a long line of them for Bussi this year.
The Hurricanes hope that, despite Bussi’s bumps, he’ll be integral to helping them reach the next playoff stage. Carolina has advanced to two of the past three Eastern Conference finals and fell both times to Florida. Inconsistent goaltending was an issue.
“I think we all understand what the mission is here,” Bussi said. “It’s fun to be a part of and kind of join the family after so many years of success and try to continue it.”
IF THERE ARE A FEW items left on Bussi’s list, one would be getting Dylan out to a game. His sensory differences would make the loud arena overwhelming on a regular game night.
Shawn Pfeiffer has been integral to that process. It’s his mission to advocate for the autistic community through hockey, doing so as a founder of Pucks for Autism. The initiative was inspired by Pfeiffer’s son, Henry, who is autistic, and a desire to see him get an equal chance to participate with a sport dear to his father.
Pucks for Autism started small, holding tournaments and events in the Midwest where families could participate in activities highlighting the challenges and strengths of people living with the condition. Pfeiffer’s group began working with AHL teams to foster an inclusive environment for autistic fans and eventually connected with the Chicago Blackhawks, too.
Their goal of breaking down barriers gained so much traction they have an NHL tour now, with five teams hosting a night in March and April to raise awareness of neurodivergence.