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Linus Ullmark reveals shocking reason he chose not to fight the most hated goaltender in the NHL

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Daniel Lucente
October 31, 2024  (11:43)
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Linus Ullmark, goaltender of the Ottawa Senators, does a zoom interview
Photo credit: Screengrab /Zoom

The Ottawa Senators blew out the St. Louis Blues with a commanding 8-1 win on Tuesday night, and Linus Ullmark revealed why he didn't engage in a goalie fight.

Jordan Binnington, goaltender with the St. Louis Blues, has been one of the most hated and heated goaltenders in the NHL, building a career filled with controversy because of his bold, brash antics on the ice. Wednesday night was no exception as he, once again, found himself right in the middle of the action, and not for any good reasons, against the Ottawa Senators. A game that got one-sided for Ottawa in the blink of a second ended 8-1, with the Blues always chasing their tails. In the latter part of the game, emotions boiled over in a scrum between the two teams.

As players on either team participated, Binnington made his way toward Brady Tkachuk, who was involved in some pushing with one of Binnington's teammates. The goalie skated around the growing circle of players before intervening to pull Tkachuk away from his teammate. Onlookers and announcers alike were practically salivating at the prospect that Linus Ullmark, the opposite goaltender, would perhaps take umbrage with Binnington's behavior and skate down the ice to join the melee. In a shocking turn of events, Ullmark decided to stay in his net and not further escalate the situation.

After the contest, the former Vezina Trophy winner explained why he didn't take part. Ullmark's decision reflected his headiness and how well he knew when to pick his battles, a thing that often isn't easy on the ice when guys are generally fired up.

«It's just all an act, and we're up 7-1 at that point. It's not necessary for me to go down there,» he told reporters. «He just stood up for his guys and held off one of our best fighters as well. I'm pretty sure that Brady can take care of himself.

"I'd rather not do anything. If the time comes and I have to go and stick up for my teammates I'll do it," Ullmark added. «But like I said, there wasn't any need for that today.»


A question or two could be raised regarding Ullmark's decision. However, given how large the lead of Ottawa was at that moment, it was justifiable on his part to decide to stay out of the fight. In this sport, there is a fine line between entertaining the crowd and ensuring the victory of the teams when goalies fight, as rare as they are, which is highly anticipated. The same goalie altercations that get fans off their seats could cost teams a great deal in penalties and injuries.

Ultimately, it was Wednesday's game that very much summed up these two different strategies the two goalies have employed. Linus Ullmark's restrain versus Jordan Binnington's willingness to dive into controversies hereby reminded everyone why Binnington gained such a horrible reputation up to now in his career. His antics keep fans guessing when and if his next outburst will occur, making him a volatile yet intriguing presence in the league.

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Linus Ullmark reveals shocking reason he chose not to fight the most hated goaltender in the NHL

Was it smart of Linus Ullmark to avoid fighting Jordan Binnington?

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