Ottawa Senators netminder Linus Ullmark is excited to return to Boston on Saturday night and potentially square off with his old friend Jeremy Swayman for the first time since being traded.
"It's going to be fun, interesting, a lot of emotions, but I feel that it's going to be sort of a forever memory," Ullmark told NHL.com's Amalie Benjamin.
The Bruins sent Ullmark to Ottawa over the offseason so they could afford a new contract for Swayman. The pair once formed arguably the best netminding duo in the league, and their friendship has persisted even though they're now divisional foes.
"It's one of those things you don't realize how good it was until it's gone," Swayman said. "I'm so lucky to have (Joonas Korpisalo) now. It was just such a seamless transition, our friendship and camaraderie, but it's just like losing a brother. You create all these traditions, you create such an incredible bond, and you've got to find new ones.
"It's like starting fresh again. I still find myself doing some routines that we still did together, which is really fun. It's something that I find comforting and what I'm used to and helps you get into a routine of things. But I miss him a ton."
Ullmark and Swayman became the Bruins' goaltending tandem during the 2020-21 campaign. Boston recorded a league-high 163 wins and 351 points over their tenure, and Ullmark won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's top goalie in 2023. The duo shared the William M. Jennings Trophy, awarded to the pair that surrenders the fewest goals against, that same year.
Ullmark and Swayman each signed contract extensions this year with matching $8.25-million cap hits. Both goalies have struggled to start this season, though: Ullmark owns an .892 save percentage in seven starts, while Swayman's amassed an .894 clip in 10 appearances.