“We don’t just play for fun. We play to win and that is the most important element,” he said. Ullmark knows his taste for victory. During his three-season stint with the Bruins, he accumulated 88 victories in 130 games during the regular season. On the other hand, defeat is also familiar to him since it was with the Buffalo Sabers that he began his career in the National Hockey League (NHL).
“Winning is nice. Losing is a lot more boring. I’ve been on both sides during my career. When you win, everything becomes easier. The sun shines brighter and all situations are easier to manage. So I won’t change my way of seeing things, even with a new team.”
At the end of the season, the lack of leadership within the Senators team was criticized. The team has not participated in the playoffs since 2017. Beyond his goaltending talents, Ottawa got their hands on a player who evolved in a winning environment and with undisputed leaders like Patrice Bergeron as well as Brad Marchand, in particular.
“I want to bring consistency. I want to bring effort and a good attitude, two things I’ve learned you have full control of playing with incredible leaders. This is one of the reasons why Boston has had success year after year. I always wanted to know the secret and now that I know, I don’t take it for granted in any way. I know how difficult it is to win in this league. […] Even when you win two or three games in a row, you have to keep doing what you do well. You can’t afford to lose three or four in a row. Consistency is what’s going to get you to the playoffs.”
Ottawa, a destination of choice
The rumors surrounding the 30-year-old hockey player have been strong since the last trade deadline and they have never slowed down. A clause in his contract allowed him to submit a list of 16 teams to which he did not want to be traded. Ottawa was never there, he confirmed. Ullmark is happy to be back with the Senators.
“It’s an exciting young team. She has a lot of speed and talent. Every time we’ve played them over the past few seasons, the Senators have always played solid games. They demonstrated how dangerous they can be. You just have to find a little consistency. I am confident that we will be able to do it with the group in place and the new coaches. Once we are able to find our direction, we will be a dangerous team.
The Swede will share the net with his compatriot and good friend Anton Forsberg. The two goalies have already spoken together. Ullmark also had the opportunity to speak with another Swedish colleague, Daniel Alfredsson. Being able to count on them is something very precious and important to him.
“Anton is a good friend of mine so it’s nice to see each other again. It’s been 10 years since we were on the same team. It’s something special to have someone to connect with. I also chatted with Alfi [Alfredsson] on the plan in place as well as a little about the city of Ottawa. Several other players have already contacted me, including Brady Tkachuk. I feel very welcome and my wife also feels the same way.”
Linus Ullmark explains that he will not repeat his famous hug with Jeremy Swayman with the Senators. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
An increased workload
In Boston, Ullmark split the task with Jeremy Swayman. He never played more than 49 games in a season. Both of these things should change in Ottawa. He will be the number one goaltender to start the season and the biggest workload of his career undoubtedly awaits him. The Cerberus couldn’t ask for a better opportunity at this point in his journey.
“That’s exciting. It’s harder to play more matches, but also easier at the same time. Once you find your rhythm, things happen more automatically. More than if I only played once every three or four games. You can build on your good performances and it allows you to see more quickly the points you need to work on. I can also fully rest when I’m not playing, which isn’t necessarily the case when I know I have to fight for an opportunity to return to the net on my next start. It remains more difficult on the body since you have to press the accelerator for longer, but all the goalkeepers in the world will tell you that they prefer to play more.
A contract extension in the sights?
Next season, the 30-year-old goaltender will reach the final year of his contract worth five million dollars annually. He will subsequently become an unrestricted free agent, unless the Senators and his agent come to an agreement in the coming months. For the moment, no discussions have taken place between the two clans.
“I’ve only been a member of the organization for a few hours. Right now, my biggest concern is finding a place to stay and a school for my children. I also want to get to know the people of Ottawa. I leave the contract negotiations file to my agent. I don’t want to look too far ahead. I want to stay and enjoy the present moment.”
If his words as a politician have nothing to reassure Sens supporters, he still spoke well of the city of Ottawa. “The thing I hear most about the city of Ottawa is that it’s a great place to raise a family. As a father, this speaks to me a lot. I feel very comfortable settling in Ottawa.”
