Jordan Martinook nearly broke down while talking about Frederik Andersen’s emotional performance in the Carolina Hurricanes’ conference-clinching Game 5 win, saying he would always remember the goalie’s embrace after the game and Sebastian Aho’s postgame speech acknowledging Andersen’s pain. Andersen’s longtime friend and agent, Claude Lemieux, died by suicide Thursday, and the loss weighed heavily on the veteran goaltender as he prepared for the Stanley Cup Final.
Andersen said the support from teammates helped him focus on hockey while carrying a personal tragedy. He described the Hurricanes’ locker room as a place where players lean on one another through all kinds of life events, from births to grief. Now in his 11th NHL season, Andersen has reached the Stanley Cup Final for the first time after previous playoff appearances with Anaheim, Toronto and Carolina. His postseason has been exceptional, with a .931 save percentage, a 12-1 record, a 1.41 goals-against average and three shutouts, putting him among the leading Conn Smythe Trophy candidates.
Andersen said his mindset has been steady because he feels prepared for any situation and is letting the game come to him. He credited the team’s deep playoff run and extra practice time with strengthening his game. But the emotional moment after Saturday’s 6-1 win also carried deeper meaning, especially with Lemieux in mind. Andersen said he thought about the stories Lemieux used to tell him about winning the Cup and imagined his friend encouraging him to finish the job.
Lemieux’s influence on Andersen went beyond hockey. Andersen recalled that Lemieux once made sure to call him before taking part in a public ceremony at Montreal’s Bell Centre, where he helped ignite a home crowd as part of a Canadiens event. Andersen said that gesture showed how much Lemieux cared about the feelings of people close to him.
The emotional connection also resonated with teammate Nikolaj Ehlers, who joined Carolina last summer and said Andersen was a major reason he wanted to sign with the Hurricanes. Ehlers said Andersen helped him settle in, even driving him around when he first arrived, and said it was important to have someone around who shares his language and background. Ehlers said the team is fully behind Andersen and believes he is playing for more than a hockey victory. In his view, Andersen wants to win the Stanley Cup for Lemieux and the Lemieux family as much as for himself and the Hurricanes.
Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere said it was difficult to watch Andersen remain composed under such pressure, but he was proud of how the team supported him. Aho said the most important job was simply to be present and be a good teammate. Andersen thanked his teammates for standing by him during the last two days and ended with a short message that reflected both the weight of the loss and the hope of a championship run: “Let’s go get four more.”
