Linus Ullmark revealed that the goalie hug celebration won't follow him to Ottawa.
The Boston Bruins made a big move on Monday, as they finally dealt Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators. This put an end to the NHL's top goalie tandem in him and Jeremy Swayman.
The Bruins will certainly miss having a great one-two punch between the pipes. It is also quite likely that the pair will miss playing together, as even though they were each other's competition, they developed a great friendship as teammates. This was made abundantly clear through their famous goalie hugs after every Bruins win.
Boston Bruins back-up goaltender Linus Ullmark (35) congratulates goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) after a win over the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena on Mar 4, 2024.Due to how popular the goalie hug was in Boston, Ullmark was recently asked if he would bring it to Ottawa. The 2023 Vezina Trophy winner shut that down, noting that it will only be a thing for him and Swayman.
"I'm not going to bring it to Ottawa. That is, you know, the patented goalie hug that we had in Boston. That's for me and Sway only. And that's out of respect for what we had and what we built through our years together and the respect and love and admiration that I have for him."
It is understandable that Ullmark won't bring the goalie hug to Ottawa. It would also be surprising if Swayman kept the tradition going with newcomer Joonas Korpisalo. It should forever be Ullmark and Swayman's celebration only.