As the new NHL season approaches, one of the most talked-about offseason moves has been Linus Ullmark’s trade to the Ottawa Senators. Settling into a new city, the 2023 Vezina Trophy winner is pumped about his fresh start, new home, and a chance to be a number one goalie.
At the Senators’ recent media kick-off event, Ullmark made a guest appearance, discussing the trade, his adjustment to Ottawa, and his expectations for the upcoming season.
A New Beginning in Ottawa
Ullmark says he and his wife, Moa, along with their two kids, are settling into their new home, just outside of the city, where things have been a good deal calmer than they were in Buffalo or Boston, his former NHL homes.
“It’s nice to have peace and quiet,” Ullmark reflected. “For us, it felt different. The way it was over the last three years, we’ve always heard sirens. We’ve lived pretty close to the cities. So now that we’ve moved outside (of the city), it’s nice to have that peace and quiet when you go to bed.”
Navigating the Move
Moving, especially with kids, is never easy. Ullmark acknowledged the challenges, particularly for his son, who had to leave behind a tight-knit group of friends.
“We liked being very honest with them from the start,” Ullmark said. “Unfortunately, my son had a lot of friends. He took (moving away) pretty hard I would say.
Despite the initial difficulties, the promise of snow, skiing, and a white Christmas helped ease the transition. “That got him all excited,” Ullmark added.
The Trade and Its Impact
The timing of Ullmark’s trade was unique, and probably annoyed NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, who doesn’t like his teams breaking big news and upstaging the Stanley Cup Final. The news was announced during the warmup of Game 7 of the Cup Final and Ullmark’s reaction was as unexpected as the trade itself.
“I was sound asleep,” Ullmark admitted. “I think they called me at 1:30 in the morning. When you have two kids, I tend to get up early in the morning and go to sleep early at night. So, yeah, it was a roller coaster, obviously. You’re in dreamland having a nice dream. All of a sudden, your agent calls you and then it’s one phone call after another. That was an experience and a half to say the least.
Setting Expectations
Ullmark says he believes in setting ambitious goals and the biggest are to help create a winning culture in Ottawa and get back into the playoffs.
“Doesn’t matter if you’re Ottawa, Boston, Edmonton, whatever team you are. Everybody has high expectations of their teams. And it’s the same thing here. Why shouldn’t you? We all play to win. We don’t play for fun. Winning is fun.”
Leadership and Role Evolution
Ullmark has been an NHL full-timer since the 2018-19 season but for all six seasons, he’s been in a timeshare situation, a platoon, playing roughly half of his team’s games every season, first with the Buffalo Sabres and then the Boston Bruins. This will be his first opportunity as the undisputed number one goalie on an NHL team and he’s excited.
“It’s something that you always strive for,” Ullmark said. “Every goalie, not only in this league but in the world, wants to be a number one goaltender and play as many games as possible. Especially to be considered a starter on a National Hockey League team is a dream come true. It’s a very exciting opportunity for me. With that comes expectations as well, but I think I put higher expectations on myself than any of you (the media) possibly can, so I’ll be fine.”
When it comes to leadership, Ullmark believes goalies can be influential in their own way.
“For me, I would say (it’s important) to show up every day, be the kind of guy that I’ve always been, and lead by example. Maybe more than talking because I play a completely different sport compared to what all the other players are doing. So it’s all about consistency, battle, trying my hardest at all times, and being vocal in certain areas.”
Looking Ahead
Ullmark arrived in Ottawa this summer with only one year left on his contract. He’s been non-committal about signing an extension with the Senators, saying he’s leaving things to his agent. Ullmark will need to be highly impressed with the team and the city if he’s going to give up the chance to go to unrestricted free agency next summer.
That has a lot of Sens fans on pins and needles. When asked at the media event about the status of contract talks, Senators GM Steve Staios said right now he just wants Ullmark and his family to settle in first and get comfortable.
“Everything else will take care of itself,” Staios assured. “The most important thing is Linus and Moa getting comfortable in our community and understanding what a great place it is in Ottawa.”
As Ullmark begins his new journey with the Senators, whether it’s brief or long term, both he and the team are hopeful the team is finally on the road to success and nearing the end of this ridiculous playoff drought.
By Steve Warne
