When the Ottawa Senators acquired goaltender Linus Ullmark in a June trade before the 2024 draft, fans were thrilled that the team’s most glaring problem had been expertly addressed. This was quickly tempered by the realization that Ullmark only had one year remaining on his contract, so there’s a risk that it might only be a one-year respite from Ottawa’s perpetual goalie graveyard.
With respect to a potential contract extension, General Manager Steve Staios has indicated on numerous occasions that he wants to give Ullmark time to ensure that he is happy and comfortable with the local Ottawa community before starting negotiations.
And while mundane details such as term, salary, and contract structure will no doubt enter into the negotiation process, it could be the nature of the local community that tips the balance in Ottawa’s favour.
There is much discussion that Canadian NHL cities are less desirable locations for players who will leap at the first opportunity in unrestricted free agency to play in warm weather, low-tax cities in the United States. But Ullmark and his wife, Moa, are both from Sweden and, like any young family, they’re probably looking for some of the comforts of home.
Perhaps Coach Alfredsson has had a chance to sit down with the Ullmarks and talk about the presumably positive experiences he and Bibi had while raising their four boys in his adopted hometown of Ottawa.
Five of the eight Swedish-born players elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame played most or all of their NHL careers in Canadian cities. The climate, geography and socioeconomic systems in Sweden are much more similar to those in Canada than south of the border, which could seemingly create a comfort level with added value.
If you think Canada has high taxes, try living in Sweden for a while. And if you’re concerned about the negative impact of Ottawa’s notoriously harsh winters, Ullmark’s hometown of Lugnvik sits on a line of latitude 17 degrees further north than Ottawa.
When Staios indicated he wanted to give Ullmark an opportunity to experience the nature of the local community before considering his long-term future, we may have assumed he meant Linus. May I be among the first to say, welcome to Ottawa, Mrs. Ullmark; you and your family are going to love it here.
