Senators goalie Linus Ullmark told thanks, but no thanks by Team Sweden

‘It would have been a great opportunity to play for Team Sweden back home in Stockholm,’ Ottawa Senators goalie Linus Ullmark said. Photo by Ashley Fraser /POSTMEDIAArticle content

Linus Ulmark offered to suit up for his country on home soil at the 2025 IIHF world hockey championships.

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Though Team Sweden officials appreciated the offer, they didn’t allow the Ottawa Senators’ top goaltender to wear the Tre Kronor at the tourney, which will begin on May 9 in Stockholm and Herning, Denmark.

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Ullmark confirmed on locker cleanout day at the Canadian Tire Centre on Saturday that his agent, Joakim Perrson, reached out to Swedish officials on Friday after the Senators were eliminated from Round 1 of the National Hockey League playoffs and was told the club already had its goalies.

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“I have an interest, but they’ve decided not to go with me,” Ulllmark said. “That’s the decision that they made. I just found out.”

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Ullmark suited up for Sweden at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February in Montreal and Boston, but would have been excited to have the opportunity to play for Sweden in Stockholm.

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“It would have been a great opportunity to play for Team Sweden back home in Stockholm,” Ullmark said. “So, I’m let down about that whole situation. I really wish that I had the opportunity to do that and put the national team jersey on, especially when we didn’t make it to the second round.

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“You don’t want to play at the world championship in any way because you don’t want to be available. That’s the thing, You always want to say, ‘Sorry I can’t come, I’m playing second or third round.’ It just meant a bit more this year, being home in Sweden and having friends and family come watch you.

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“But that’s a decision they’ve made. There is nothing I can do to change it. It’s just something that they have to own up to.”

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If the 31-year-old Ullmark isn’t an option, then the Swedes must be looking at either Jacob Markstrom of the New Jersey Devils or Filip Gustavsson of the Minnesota Wild. Both were eliminated in the first round.

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Well-respected New York-based writer Per Bjurman, who is a columnist for Swedish-based newspaper Aftonbladet, told me he thinks management must want Markstrom to be the starter.

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He wasn’t available for the 4 Nations Face-Off because he was out with an injury at the time, and that vaulted Gustavsson into a starting role. What this means for Ullmark’s status for the 2026 Winter Olympics next February in Milan, Italy, remains to be seen.

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Captain Brady Tkachuk, along with defencemen Jake Sanderson and Tyler Kleven, won’t be suiting up for the United States. Tkachuk has injury issues that need to heal, Sanderson decided not to go and Kleven is a restricted free agent and can’t afford the risk of getting injured.