Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark provided a raw update on his mental health journey this week, revealing the ongoing battle he faces while simultaneously being honored for his perseverance with a Bill Masterton Trophy nomination.
Speaking to select reporters on Wednesday after learning of his nomination, Ullmark didn’t sugarcoat his current state and offered candid insights into the daily struggle that continues even months after his return from a leave of absence.
“I am broken, and I’m still not fully, completely healed,” Ullmark admitted.
The 32-year-old Swedish netminder pointed out the double standard that exists between physical and mental health injuries in professional sports.
“If we say [Thomas Chabot] has his injury, no one is going to question that. But just because I’ve been playing and all that, and all of a sudden I’m not available. People just started attacking me [saying], ‘Oh, he needs to play.’ He needs to be available. This is what we pay him for.”
Referencing his unavailability for a crucial late-March start against the Lightning, Ullmark said:
“I am very much trying my very hardest every single day to be there. And I was not having the best of days leading up to the Tampa game.”
Ullmark’s struggles trace back to December, when pressure both on and off the ice reached a breaking point for the netminder during a game against Toronto. The crisis forced him to step away from the team for six weeks, seeking professional help through the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program.
Linus Ullmark dubs Bill Masterton Trophy nomination “bittersweet”
This week, the Ottawa chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association named Ullmark the Senators’ nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy awarded annually to the player who best exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.
Ullmark shared that he was honored and “thankful” to be nominated and thanked everyone for their support throughout the journey. However, he also admitted that the nomination was still “bittersweet” for him.
“It’s both good and bad in a way,” Ullmark said. “You don’t really want it because that means you’ve gone through a lot of stuff, and it means that you’re going through hardships that maybe people don’t want you to go through.”
The nomination recognizes his journey back from mental health struggles but it’s an honor that comes with the acknowledgment of significant personal pain.
Linus Ullmark has so far recorded a 26-12-8 record in 47 games with a goals against average of 2.82 and a save percentage of .887 this season with the Senators.
Edited by Anjum Rajonno