While he isn't eligible for the Calder Trophy and likely won't receive any love from voters for the Vezina Trophy or any other awards, Brandon Bussi has already added some hardware to his shelf this season after Wednesday morning's announcement. For the 27-year-old netminder, his first season in the NHL has landed him a huge honor.
Bussi was named the Hurricanes' MVP, as voted on by the Carolina chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association. He joins a very esteemed group, including six-time winner Sebastian Aho, reigning MVP Seth Jarvis, captain Jordan Staal, and a few Hurricanes Hall of Famers. He's the third goalie to be named, including teammate Frederik Andersen in 2021-22.
While his numbers, especially of late, haven't been great, there's a lot to be said for the amount of winning that Bussi has done in his first season as an NHL goaltender. He has set several NHL marks for the fastest to certain winning milestones and has etched his name into team history quite a few times. Bussi picked up his 30th win on Tuesday in the Canes' division-clinching win.
His journey to the NHL has been well-documented by both this page and those far smarter than us throughout the season. Beginning his career with the Bruins in the AHL, Bussi was claimed off waivers before the season began after the team placed Cayden Primeau on waivers. An injury to Pyotr Kochetkov brought him into the lineup, and Bussi hasn't looked back from there.
There has been a noticeable change in his play since the Olympic break. Though he has wins in seven of his last ten starts, Bussi is allowing over 3.50 goals per game and has posted a .846 save percentage. Still, wins are what matters the most in this sport, and Bussi has plenty of them. Without him, the Canes aren't in position, making his MVP announcement a deserved honor.
Hall named the Masterton Trophy candidate, Josef Vasicek Award winner
Taylor Hall was also honored by the Carolina PWHA chapter. First, he was named as the team's Masterton Memorial Trophy candidate, given to the player who best exemplifies sportsmanship, perseverance and dedication to hockey. Each of the league's 32 team nominate a player. There have been three finalists for the Canes since relocation, with Andersen being the last in 2023.
Hall was also honored as the Josef Vasicek Award winner, presented to the member of the roster who shows outstanding cooperation with local media. In his first full season with the Canes, Hall has been nothing but complimentary of the organization since his arrival, and those sentiments have clearly carried into his relationship with the Raleigh media.
After joining the team last January in the initial Mikko Rantanen deal, Hall has undergone an unconventional journey to get to this point, but he has proven incredibly valuable to the Canes' success this season. He recently surpassed 300 goals for his career and is on the verge of hitting 1,000 games and 800 points, both of which he'll likely hit next season.
Both men are incredibly deserving of these honors. They have both been exceptional in the roles that they have carved out for the Canes this season. With some of the regular season remaining and an entire postseason to go, there is still plenty of hockey left for them to play. For two players on different ends of the career spectrum, it's cool to see them coming together in this way.