“He’d just feel so proud”: Hurricanes’ Frederik Andersen on having name on Stanley Cup alongside Claude Lemieux

The Carolina Hurricanes earned the Stanley Cup on Sunday night with a 3-0 shutout victory powered by goaltender Brandon Bussi to beat out the Vegas Golden Knights for the Cup in a six-game series.

While it was Bussi between the pipes for the final three wins, veteran Frederik Andersen held down the crease brilliantly for the first 13.

For Andersen, the win comes at the tail end of a long career in which the Dane took plenty of swings in the postseason that saw him fall short until now.

It also means his name will join that of his longtime agent, the late Claude Lemieux, on the Stanley Cup. Andersen played through personal tragedy following the passing of his agent and close friend in May.

“He’d just feel so proud,” Andersen said. “He’s a competitor. He always wanted the best for me and his players and his family. It’s just tough to really describe how much he has meant to me and how cool it is to have my name on that trophy with him.”

Lemieux, a four-time Stanley Cup champion, served as the torch bearer during the pre-game festivities for the Montreal Canadiens ahead of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Hurricanes.

Lemieux died by suicide between Games 4 and 5 of the east final, and Andersen played excellently in the decisive Game 5 with a heavy heart.

Andersen finished his playoff run with a 13-2 record, a .910 save percentage and a 1.89 goals against average. The Dane faltered at the start of the Stanley Cup Final, and suffered a knee injury that held him out for the duration of the series as Bussi stepped in in relief in Game 3 before winning his first three starts of his postseason career to seal the championship for Carolina.