𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

This should be one of the happiest stretches of Frederik Andersen’s career. The Hurricanes goalie is playing his best hockey of the season at the best possible time, and tonight will become the first ever Danish goaltender to play in a Stanley Cup Final. As Dom Luszczyszyn outlined below, he may be the strongest contender for a Conn Smythe trophy that Carolina has if it wins one more series on the back of his strong play.

But while the death of Claude Lemieux rocked the NHL as a whole, few felt the tragedy as personally as Andersen — who Lemieux represented as his agent for 15 years. And to read The Athletic’s Chris Johnston beautifully tell it…

📝 Their relationship stopped being about business long ago.

“It was a lot more than that,” Andersen told The Athletic on Monday.

There are no words, really, for the news the Hurricanes’ goaltender received between Games 4 and 5 of the Eastern Conference final. It was the kind of phone call no one wants to imagine taking.

Yet after finding out Thursday morning that Lemieux had died at age 60, Andersen managed to steady himself and channel his emotions into delivering a 23-save performance the following night to help propel the Hurricanes to the NHL’s championship series against the Vegas Golden Knights.

That night, he was visibly shaken when given the team’s player of the game award by teammate Sebastian Aho in the dressing room.

On Monday, his voice quivered when answering questions about Lemieux on the eve of the Stanley Cup Final.

“We go through stuff in life,” Andersen said. “Sometimes it’s impossible not to bring it into the room.”

So while he is objectively at the pinnacle of his 13-year NHL career, carrying a 12-1 record through these playoffs with 12.48 goals saved above expected (per HockeyStats), he’s also carrying a heavy heart.

Everyone around him can feel it.