March 11, 2024 | 9:20am ET
By Shawn Hutcheon, TheFourthPeriod.com
ULLMARK HAPPY, MAROON EXCITED, PEEKE PUMPED
Linus Ullmark, goaltender
BOSTON, MA — Before the NHL Trade Deadline, rumors that Boston Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark was on the trading block grew louder by the day.
It made sense due to the League’s salary cap and the constraints it can bring considering Boston had $61,558 in cap space. To bring in a veteran, impact player the Bruins would need to send someone in return off its roster, and with quite a few teams looking to improve their goaltending, Ullmark was high on the shopping list of those teams.
However, when the March 8 deadline for dealing had passed, Ullmark was still a Bruin, although it appeared he may had been on his way out of Boston at one point.
Not long after the deadline came and went, it was reported that Bruins management and an unnamed franchise had agreed to a trade that would have sent Ullmark to a new team. The deal was not consummated because Ullmark did not waive the Modified No-Trade List that is part of his contract. The list consists of 16 NHL teams for which he prefers not to play.
On Saturday, Ullmark was named the No.1 star as he stopped 38 shots in Boston’s 5-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins at TD Garden. After the contest, he addressed the media and although he would not go into details surrounding the reports, he did explain the stress that trade rumors place upon a player.
“I’m just very happy to be here,” Ullmark answered when asked to comment on the reports that he executed his no-trade clause. “This is the team I want to be in. I’m very fortunate to be a part of this group and ever since day one, I’ve loved it here so I’m very happy with where I am right now.
“It’s tough. You try to act tough beforehand. You don’t want to show anything. You don’t want to show any emotions. It is tough on players. And this is the first time when I had to go through actually being rumored about. I’ve always felt safe, but once it actually starts picking up more and more, and more, you hear those outside noises. It takes a toll on you and then there’s the emotional part of it. And then you start thinking about your family. And then there’s all these questions that you just don’t have any answers to, so yes, I am very happy that it’s over with. I’m very happy to be here.”
Too often, people who are on the outside of the game forget the players are human. They do the best they can to block out the noise of rumors and speculation and try to play to the best of their abilities. In Ullmark’s case, he continued to perform as one of the game’s premier goaltenders.
It is an adage that a team builds from the net out and Boston’s management has done just that.
It is no secret Ullmark and his goaltending cohort, Jeremy Swayman, have been the backbone of this year’s edition of the Bruins. After the win over Pittsburgh, their combined goals against average of 2.62 was the fourth best in the League. Their save percentage of .915 placed them third best among NHL puck stoppers.
Stop me if you have heard this before: sometimes the best trades are the ones that are not made. Ullmark did not want to leave Boston and is happy that he didn’t. Many share Ullmark’s sentiment including Bruins coach Jim Montgomery.
“Glad he’s still a Bruin,” Montgomery said after the victory over the Penguins.
MAROON “SUPER EXCITED” TO BE A BRUIN
The day after being traded from the Minnesota Wild to the Bruins, Pat Maroon met with the media. The new Bruin expressed his appreciation for those who made the deal happen and then explained how it all came together.
“First, I want to thank (Wild GM) Billy Guerin and the Minnesota Wild,” Maroon said. “I want to thank (Bruins GM) Don Sweeney for giving me the opportunity to come play and put this jersey on. I’m super excited.
“Me and Billy Guerin talked, (he) asked me what I wanted to do. He had plans for his team and he asked me if I wanted to go to a contender so kudos to him for coming up and asking me, ‘If you want to go try to win another Stanley Cup,’ and why not? That’s the ultimate goal when you leave this game, is to win and put a stamp on your career. He gave me that opportunity and he worked hard for me to get me the chance to go on a nice playoff run here.”
Throughout his 12-plus NHL seasons, Maroon has had his share of on-ice altercations with various members of the Bruins. He acknowledged that he may not have been a fan favorite at TD Garden, but he hopes all will be forgiven as he is eager to put on a Bruins sweater.
“Gives me chills thinking about it,” said Maroon. “I’m really looking forward to it. I know these fans are very passionate about their sports teams. Just really looking forward to putting that jersey on and going out there and playing.”
And while Maroon is in the process of rehabbing from back surgery that was performed in early February, he cannot help but feel that becoming a Bruin was inevitable.
“You know, my old high school team is the Bruins colors, so I feel like it was meant to be, said Maroon.”
PEEKE PUMPED
Like Maroon, Boston’s newest defenseman Andrew Peeke spoke with the media before the Bruins played against Pittsburgh at TD Garden.
Peeke sees his coming to Boston as a reset after spending the first four-plus seasons of his career with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
This season, he appeared in 23 games with Columbus after seeing action in 82 and 80 games, respectively, over the last two years.
“I’m pumped,” Peeke said. “The biggest thing for me, I just wanted to play hockey. Obviously, the past two years, I played pretty much every game. You get into a routine doing that, so I just wanted to play hockey. Obviously, with how the year went (in Columbus), I just wanted to play hockey then finding out that I was coming to a place like Boston and being able to compete for the playoffs, that’s exciting. All you can ask for as a player and that’s something I haven’t had yet so I’m super-thrilled about that.”
Peeke describes himself as a physical player who takes great pride in defending his end of the ice. He wins puck battles and moves his feet quickly to advance pucks for zone exits. His blue-collar style of play should fit the Bruins mold and be well-received by those who fill the seats in Boston.
“I can’t wait,” Peeke said, “Growing up, you always heard about Boston sports and the pride that this city has for its sports teams, and watching the (New England) Patriots dynasty, the Bruins winning the Cup, whatever it could be, it’s second-to-none in terms of the fans here so I’m super-excited.”
