Carolina Hurricanes goalie Brandon Bussi’s improbable rise from college employee to Stanley Cup-winning NHL goaltender came full circle, in his own words, on Friday.
Bussi’s NHL path has been unconventional, to say the least. He went undrafted out of college, spent years in the American Hockey League with the Providence Bruins, never got a call-up from the NHL's Boston Bruins, and ultimately signed with the Florida Panthers last summer... only to be waived before the regular season, when Carolina claimed him, giving him his first NHL opportunity.
Once with the Hurricanes, Bussi started 39 games and posted a 31-6-2 record during the regular season before winning his first three career playoff starts in the Stanley Cup Final as Carolina won the championship.
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On Friday, the Hurricanes' goalie announced on Instagram that he has become an official Chipotle partner, six years after working for the restaurant during the 2020 summer while attending Western Michigan University, as listed on LinkedIn.
According to Bussi's profile on the platform, he worked part-time at Chipotle from June through August 2020 while balancing offseason training, coaching at Stop It Goaltending, and preparing for his sophomore collegiate season.
Bussi shared the news on a post with the caption: “Full Circle - from behind the line at Chipotle to claiming hockey’s ultimate prize (a Chipotle sponsorship), follow your dreams #ChipotlePartner”
Appearing on the "What Chaos!" podcast on June 24, Bussi explained why he took some jobs while in college.
“I’m a college student, man. I need money,” Bussi said. “Monday through Thursday, I was training and coaching at Stop It Goaltending, and then on the weekends I’d pick up some shifts at Chipotle.
“Every time I worked, I got it for free, and I got 50 percent off when I wasn’t working, so I had it quite a bit that summer, and I enjoyed it. I still like Chipotle. I enjoy getting a bowl or burrito from there.”
In a rather foreshadowing comment, and when the podcast hosts suggested a sponsorship could eventually happen, Bussi admitted that he “wouldn’t mind it.”
