Bruins netminder Linus Ullmark will lead the B’s to the ice for the 2023 Winter Classic, Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery revealed following a Sunday practice session at Fenway Park.

The decision to start Ullmark is hardly a surprise given his performance this season, but it did go against Montgomery’s unofficial tradition, as the first-year Bruins coach has often left us all waiting with anticipation when it comes to that night’s starting goaltender.

Boston’s top goaltender this season, Ullmark will enter Monday with an absurd 20-1-1 record on the season, and on the heels of a 30-of-31 performance against the Devils last Wednesday night. Ullmark’s 20 victories are currently tops in the NHL, while the 29-year-old is also leading the NHL in both save percentage (.938) and goals against average (1.90).

Ullmark is looking to become the first NHL goaltender to win the goalie version of the ‘Triple Crown’ since Carey Price did it in 2014-15 on his way to a Hart Trophy as the league’s most valuable player.

With Ullmark set to start, Jeremy Swayman, who surrendered four goals on 25 shots in Saturday’s overtime loss to the Sabres, will serve as Boston’s backup.

Practicing at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, it’s worth mentioning that the Bruins did not appear to be dealing with any significant glare on the ice — the league has positioned the rink with more of a ‘home to first’ setup opposed to the ‘third to first’ setup at the 2010 Winter Classic at Fenway — and that the sun should not be an issue for either Ullmark or the starter tasked with tending Pittsburgh’s goal.

Ullmark has made just one start against the Penguins since joining the Bruins, and it came earlier this year in that absolutely wild game that saw Ullmark pulled after surrendering five goals, only to return to the net for an injured Swayman and help the Bruins pull off a victory in overtime.

This will be the first outdoor start of Ullmark’s career (he was in AHL Rochester when the Sabres played in the 2018 Winter Classic at Citi Field).

For the Bruins, this will be outdoor game number five since 2010, and their fourth Winter Classic overall. The Bruins are 2-1-0 in the Winter Classic, and 3-1-0 in outdoor games overall.