| Linus Ullmark | |||
|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) Ullmark with the Rochester Americans in 2018 | |||
| Born | (1993-07-31) 31 July 1993 (age 30) Lugnvik, Sweden | ||
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) | ||
| Weight | 212 lb (96 kg; 15 st 2 lb) | ||
| Position | Goaltender | ||
| Catches | Left | ||
| NHL team Former teams | Boston Bruins Modo Hockey Buffalo Sabres | ||
| National team |  Sweden | ||
| NHL draft | 163rd overall, 2012 Buffalo Sabres | ||
| Playing career | 2011–present | ||
Linus Ullmark (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈliːnus ˈulmɑːrk];[1] born 31 July 1993) is a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the sixth round, 163rd overall, of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. With the Bruins during the 2022–23 season, Ullmark led the NHL in wins, goals against average, and save percentage, scored an empty net goal, and won both the William M. Jennings Trophy and Vezina Trophy, the former being shared with his teammate Jeremy Swayman.
On 27 May 2014, Ullmark was signed by the Buffalo Sabres to a three-year, entry-level contract. He was returned on loan to Modo Hockey of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) for the 2014–15 season.[2]
In his first season in North America, Ullmark attended the Sabres' training camp. After recovery from an early injury, he was assigned to begin the 2015–16 season with the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League (AHL). Ullmark played in three games before being recalled to the Sabres on 23 October 2015. He made his NHL debut the following day, making 24 saves in a 4–3 defeat to the New Jersey Devils.[3] His first victory came in his second start, a 3–1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers.[4]
Ullmark would spend majority of the subsequent season with the Americans, amassing a record of 26–27–2. He appeared in one game for the Sabres, falling 4–2 to the Tampa Bay Lightning. On 13 June 2017, the Sabres re-signed Ullmark to a two-year, $1.5 million contract with an annual average of $750,000.[5]
Ullmark joined the Sabres full-time during the 2018–19 season. In his season debut on 13 October, he recorded his first career NHL shutout, stopping all 36 shots faced in a 3–0 win over the Arizona Coyotes.[6] On 22 December, Ullmark stopped all 40 shots faced to shut out the Anaheim Ducks 3–0.[7] Overall, he recorded a 15–14–5 record in 37 games while backing up Carter Hutton.
On 3 August 2019, the Sabres re-signed Ullmark to a one-year, $1.325 million contract.[8] On 25 October 2020, Ullmark signed a one-year, $2.6 million contract with the Sabres.
On 28 July 2021, Ullmark left the Sabres as a free agent and signed a four-year, $20 million contract to be the starting goaltender with the Boston Bruins.[9]
Ullmark played his first regular season game for the Bruins on 22 October 2021, a 4–1 win against the Sabres.[10] Although rookie Jeremy Swayman started the first couple games of the season, Ullmark started most of the games before Tuukka Rask's return from injury, until which Swayman was sent to the AHL and Ullmark assumed backup duties. However, Rask's return was short-lived, as he retired after four starts, and Ullmark took over the starting netminder job, although both Swayman and Ullmark started 39 games each during the season and formed a great tandem, a sign of things to come. Ullmark was named as the starting goaltender for the Bruins for their first round series against the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs. However, Ullmark would struggle in the first two games, as he let up four goals in both games, both of which were losses. As a result, the team opted to start Swayman starting in Game 3, who would start the rest of the series, which the Bruins would lose in seven.
The 2022–23 season was a historic one for the Bruins, and for Ullmark, who formed the best goaltending tandem in the league with Swayman. Ullmark and Swayman's post-victory "goalie hug" embrace became a widely-covered team ritual.[11][12] Ullmark was named one of three Boston Bruins representatives to the 2023 NHL All–Star Weekend, joining head coach Jim Montgomery and teammate David Pastrňák. Ullmark notched his 100th career win on 19 January, saving 25 of 26 shots against the New York Islanders.[13] On 25 February, he became the thirteenth NHL goaltender to score a goal, and the first since Pekka Rinne in 2020, as he shot the puck directly into the Vancouver Canucks' empty net with less than one minute remaining in the Bruins' 3–1 win.[14] The Bruins finished the regular season with new records in both wins (65) and points (135), winning the Presidents' Trophy. Ullmark and Swayman together received the William M. Jennings Trophy as the goaltending tandem to allow the fewest goals. Their 177 goals against across 82 games was 36 fewer than the second-place Carolina Hurricanes.[15][16] Ullmark's personal record was 40–6–1 and, he led the NHL in GAA (1.89) and save percentage (.938). He was named a finalist for the Vezina Trophy as the league's best goaltender.[17] The Bruins entered the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs as the favourites for the championship. However, they were ousted in the first round by the Florida Panthers, squandering a 3–1 series lead in the process. Much recrimination ensued about Montgomery's coaching decisions, in particular the choice to depart from the team's regular season goalie rotation in favour of playing Ullmark exclusively despite him dealing with an injury. Ullmark was ultimately pulled after Game 6, after he had allowed seven goals in the game.[18][19] Ullmark defended Montgomery, saying "something that everybody does when things aren't going the way they want to is they're trying to find a scapegoat."[20]
Although Ullmark, as expected, entered the 2023-24 season as Boston's "1A" goaltender, Swayman's play saw him get an uptick in starts. As was established in the previous two seasons, however, the two still split relatively even starts, which Ullmark starting 39 games to Swayman's 43. Around the trade deadlines, rumors swirled that Ullmark would get dealt.[1] Shortly after the deadline passed, it was reported that the Bruins had a deal in place to trade away Ullmark, but Ullmark had invoked his no trade clause to stay with the Bruins.[2] It was not revealed what the deal was or who the team that the Bruins had a deal with was. The supposed deal seemed to spark a fire under Ullmark, who finished off his season with the Bruins on a strong note, recording a 1.90 GAA and .935 save percentage in his final nine games after the deadline. Come playoff time, there was once again a question of which goaltender the Bruins would choose, and how they would approach the situation. For the first time in his Bruins tenure, Ullmark did not play Game 1 of the opening round, with the Bruins opting to go with Swayman for Game 1 of their first round matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs. However, attempting to learn from past mistakes, Montgomery and the Bruins started Ullmark in Game 2. However, Swayman took over the net for the rest of the series starting in Game 3, helping the Bruins to a series victory in seven games. Swayman would also earn the start in the following series rematch against the Panthers, although Ullmark came in relief for Swayman in a chippy Game 2 loss.
Ullmark is a fan of esports, and of Dota 2 in particular. On 18 March 2019, he appeared on a Dota 2 podcast where he discussed the differences between playing Dota and ice hockey, as well as comparisons between the professional scenes of competitive gaming and traditional sports.[21]
Bold indicates led league
| Regular season | Playoffs | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | T/OT | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | GP | W | L | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | ||
| 2010–11 | Modo Hockey | J20 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 2 | 0 | 2.00 | .923 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011–12 | Modo Hockey | J20 | 25 | 14 | 11 | 0 | 1,521 | 70 | 1 | 2.76 | .918 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 242 | 9 | 1 | 2.24 | .927 | ||
| 2011–12 | Modo Hockey | SEL | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 148 | 8 | 0 | 3.24 | .890 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Modo Hockey | J20 | 23 | 18 | 5 | 0 | 1,352 | 46 | 2 | 2.04 | .924 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 250 | 8 | 1 | 1.39 | .947 | ||
| 2012–13 | Mora IK | Allsv | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 343 | 12 | 0 | 2.10 | .904 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Modo Hockey | SEL | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 320 | 11 | 0 | 2.07 | .934 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 133 | 3 | 0 | 1.47 | .955 | ||
| 2013–14 | Modo Hockey | SHL | 35 | 17 | 16 | 0 | 2,043 | 71 | 3 | 2.08 | .931 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 127 | 9 | 0 | 4.24 | .899 | ||
| 2014–15 | Modo Hockey | SHL | 35 | 12 | 20 | 0 | 1,926 | 100 | 1 | 3.12 | .905 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 28 | 10 | 16 | 0 | 1,582 | 90 | 0 | 3.41 | .902 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 20 | 8 | 10 | 2 | 1,131 | 49 | 0 | 2.60 | .913 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2016–17 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 55 | 26 | 27 | 2 | 3,202 | 153 | 1 | 2.87 | .909 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2016–17 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 59 | 3 | 0 | 3.06 | .917 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 44 | 21 | 12 | 10 | 2,579 | 105 | 2 | 2.44 | .922 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 175 | 16 | 0 | 5.50 | .800 | ||
| 2017–18 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 240 | 8 | 0 | 2.00 | .935 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 37 | 15 | 14 | 5 | 2,103 | 109 | 2 | 3.11 | .905 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 34 | 17 | 14 | 3 | 2,027 | 91 | 1 | 2.69 | .915 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 20 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 1,118 | 49 | 0 | 2.63 | .917 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 41 | 26 | 10 | 2 | 2,331 | 95 | 1 | 2.45 | .917 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 116 | 8 | 0 | 4.16 | .860 | ||
| 2022–23 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 49 | 40 | 6 | 1 | 2,883 | 91 | 2 | 1.89 | .938 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 360 | 20 | 0 | 3.33 | .896 | ||
| 2023–24 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 40 | 22 | 10 | 7 | 2,400 | 103 | 2 | 2.57 | .915 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 77 | 5 | 0 | 3.90 | .886 | ||
| SHL totals | 79 | 32 | 39 | 0 | 4,437 | 190 | 4 | 2.56 | .922 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 260 | 12 | 0 | 2.77 | .916 | ||||
| NHL totals | 247 | 138 | 73 | 23 | 14,288 | 598 | 8 | 2.51 | .918 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 552 | 33 | 0 | 3.59 | .887 | ||||
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Representing Sweden | ||
| Ice hockey | ||
| World Championships | ||
 | 2014 Minsk | |
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | W | L | OT | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Sweden | WC |  | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2022 | Sweden | WC | 6th | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 186 | 7 | 1 | 2.26 | .920 | |
| Senior totals | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 186 | 7 | 1 | 2.26 | .920 | ||||
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | William M. Jennings Trophy 2022–23 With: Jeremy Swayman | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Winner of the Vezina Trophy 2023 | Incumbent |