A little thing like a hockey game in which they were the opposing starting goaltenders wasn't about to break the bond between Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark.
“It still feels like I have his presence around here and the traditions that we had still live on,” Swayman said of Ullmark to Sportsnet. “We’re brothers for life.”
For three years, they were the goaltending tandem for the Boston Bruins. Ullmark won the Vezina Trophy there in 2022-23. He would go 40-6-1 with a 1.89 goals-against average, .938 save percentage and two shutouts. Ullmark led the NHL in wins, goals against average and save percentage.
As much as it was about their success on the ice, it was the unique bond formed between Swayman and Ullmark that made them iconic to Bruins fans. Their celebratory post-game on-ice hugs were the stuff of legend.
Saturday, as they squared off as opponents for the first time - Ullmark getting the nod against Swayman as starters as hia Ottawa Senators visited TD Garden to face the Bruins - nothing was going to change that bond.
During the pre-game warmup, Swayman and Ullmark met at center ice near the benches. First there was a gloved fist bump, followed by an embrace. Then the two netminders turned to face the crowd, doffed their masks and arms around each other, posed for a photo.
It’s a we thing ❤️ pic.twitter.com/mm3my5tzZF
— Abby (@AbbyPomeroy1) November 9, 2024
Ullmark felt it was their down to earth personalities and shared life experiences that helped form the closeness between the two netminders.
“I think the overall humbleness for the task at hand, to be able to put your pride aside when it comes to our position,” Ullmark told NHL.com. “We kind of clicked on a personal level, I think mostly depending on our upbringing and what we kind of came from.”
At an early stoppage during the game, an Ullmark tribute video played on the scoreboard. Following its conclusion, he was offered a standing ovation from the fans.
"He deserved every bit of that," Swayman told MassLive. "It’s incredible to see the fan base just support us so much and what we created together and just know that it’s never going to be done again in hockey. That’s something we’ll always share.”
Ultimately, Ullmark made 14 saves to garner a 3-2 overtime win over the Bruins and Swayman.