- Brandon Bussi landed a Chipotle sponsorship six years after working at the chain
- The Hurricanes goalie picked up weekend shifts in 2020 to pay for summer training
- Read below for how Bussi went from a college crew member to a Stanley Cup champion
Brandon Bussi called it hockey’s ultimate prize. He wasn’t talking about the Stanley Cup.
The Carolina Hurricanes goalie announced Friday that he’s an official Chipotle Partner, six years after he was clocking shifts behind the counter for a paycheck. He shared the news on Instagram with a two-word caption: “Full circle.”
Per his LinkedIn, Bussi worked part-time at Chipotle from June to August 2020, back when he was playing at Western Michigan and coaching on the side at Stop It Goaltending. The reason was pretty simple.
Bussi explained on the What Chaos! podcast why he grabbed the gig:
“I’m a college student, man. I need money. 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.”
Watch Bussi tell the whole story:
He didn’t mind the work, either. The employee perks helped.
“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.”
The podcast hosts floated the sponsorship idea weeks before it happened, pointing to Brad Marchand’s old Dairy Queen deal as a blueprint. Bussi said he wouldn’t mind it. Sixteen days later, Chipotle made it official.
The burrito job is a small piece of a strange road to the NHL. Bussi went undrafted, spent three seasons in the Bruins organization without a call-up, then got claimed off waivers by Carolina last October. He debuted at 27, set rookie records for the fastest goalie to 10, 20, and 25 wins, and closed the year with a shutout in Game 6 to win the Cup.
Six years ago he needed weekend shifts to cover his training costs. Now the chain is paying him. Full circle, like the man said.
