Ullmark hasn't played since Dec. 27, when he stepped away from the team on a personal leave of absence.
Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark is back in the saddle.
As the Senators face the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night (7:00 p.m. at Canadian Tire Centre), Ullmark will play for the first time since December 27, when he stepped away from the team on a personal leave of absence to address his mental health concerns.
Ullmark was the first goalie off the ice at Saturday morning’s game-day skate, and Senators head coach Travis Green confirmed at his media availability that the 32-year-old veteran will get the start.
It's not technically a return to the lineup.
Ullmark actually rejoined the team six days ago, returning as the backup goaltender behind minor league goalie Mads Søgaard and then 37-year-old journeyman James Reimer for two of the Senators’ most impressive wins of the season: a 7–1 victory over Vegas on Sunday, followed by a 5–2 win against the top-ranked Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday.
Ullmark hasn't played since Dec 27 when he was pulled from a game against the Leafs. He'd later say he was having serious in-game anxiety issues that night. He says he called the players' assistance program right after the game and told them, "I'm f****d up. I need help."
The Sens also announced on Saturday that forward Stephen Halliday would be back after missing a game due to an upper-body injury. That meant Xavier Bourgault was sent back to Belleville.
Steve Warne
The Hockey News
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