Frederik Andersen Returns To Action For 500th Career Game

The Carolina Hurricanes will finally be getting veteran Frederik Andersen back between the pipes tonight as the team takes on the Chicago Blackhawks.

Andersen, 35, last played Oct. 26 against the Seattle Kraken, but sustained an injury in the game, which eventually required surgery which he had on Nov. 22.

"It took a little time to figure out what the plan was going to be, but some follow-up imaging showed that surgery was probably the smart move thing to do," Andersen said. "Got a few different opinions on what the future could be and I chose this knowing that I'm mid-30s now and that I wanted to be a part of this team as much as I could. I took the route that could get me back quicker and I'm really happy with everyone who helped me in making that decision."

Andersen was originally given an 8-12 week recovery timetable, but it surprisingly took him just eight weeks to return to the active roster.

"It was tough to tell because I had never been through this exact surgery before, but we had a good indication right away that the surgeon liked what was going on,' Andersen said. "I've just been pushing it as quick as I could without any real setbacks. I was really happy with how the process went. Step-by-step, I've just been focusing on what I can control and trying to get back."

The Danish netminder has had a tough career in Carolina since signing with the Canes in 2021. 

Andersen has dealt with a myriad of injuries but most notably had a MCL tear in 2021-22 and blood-clotting issues in 2023-24.

The most-recent knee injury was just another in a long-list, but the veteran goaltender is hoping to put those behind him.

"You take what you can out of any experience," Andersen said. "As you guys know, I've had some personal adversity the last calendar year or two so having that trust in myself that I can get through it. It's obviously going to be a challenge for anyone and I feel blessed that I have a support system around me and the mental mindset and belief that I still had good hockey left in me. Just tried to work as hard as I could to get back and help the guys out."

Andersen is no stranger to coming off of prolonged absences, having gone 9-1-0 with a 0.951 save percentage after a four-month long layoff last season, so perhaps he'll be quick to find his game tonight.

"He's kind of done this for a few years," said Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour. "You're always worried about the rust factor because He hasn't played in a long time, but he's had experience with it."

Carolina hopes that Andersen can help stabilize the team's goaltending, which currently has the 15th best team save percentage in the league (0.890).

He started this season strong, posting a 3-1-0 record and 0.941 save percentage before his untimely injury.

"Hopefully Freddie gets going and solidifies that position for us," Brind'Amour said. "We're a pretty good team without him, but I think when he gets going, it's a difference. Having a legit, staring  goalie who's been in the league a long time and knows what he's doing back there provides a little more consistency."

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