Boston Bruins

SUNRISE, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 04: Linus Ullmark #35 of the Boston Bruins poses for a portrait prior to the 2023 NHL All-Star Game at FLA Live Arena on February 04, 2023 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Bruins netminder Linus Ullmark is clearly having the season of his life.

The NHL leader in wins (32), goals against average (1.89), and save percentage (.938 save percentage), the 29-year-old Ullmark is paced to become the league’s first goaltending ‘Triple Crown’ winner since the Canadiens’ Carey Price accomplished the feat en route to both the Hart Trophy and Vezina Trophy in the 2014-15 season.

Ullmark is also putting forth the best single-season goaltender performance we’ve seen since Tim Thomas in 2010-11.

But it’s clear that Ullmark is far from superstitious, as Ullmark plans on introducing yet another new mask, according to an update from legendary goalie mask artist David Gunnarsson.

  • Love it.

    In case you were unaware, Ullmark and his family own two corgis, named Barry and Bob. And now they’ve been put in fancy corgi form, and riding atop bears in the exact same pose as the Bruins’ secondary logo, which is displayed on the shoulder of their home and away jerseys.

    This is the first time that Ullmark has put his dogs on his mask since joining the Bruins, it would appear. (I know many of you are probably asking why it took this long given how amazing this mask looks, but this is about the present, not the past. This is about today, not yesterday, dammit.)

  • When debuted, this will be the third different mask worn by Ullmark this season, and a slight change from his ‘normal’ one, which has featured bear scratch and claw marks and his signature ‘No. 35’ on the chin.

    That mask has worked wonders for Ullmark this season, of course, and has gone really well with Ullmark’s ‘marble’ styled pads, giving the Swedish-born netminder a clean and crisp look on the ice.

  • Linus Ullmark

    Feb 1, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Boston Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark (35) watches the play against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the first period at Scotiabank Arena. (John E. Sokolowski/USA TODAY Sports)

  • Ullmark is no stranger to fan-favorite gear setups, either, as his Byron Dafoe and Andy Moog-inspired setup for the 2023 NHL Winter Classic was a massive hit among Boston fans.

    The 6-foot-5 Ullmark has kept that gear and mask in his current rotation, too, and has worn that whenever the Bruins have played wearing their 2023 Winter Classic uniforms.

  • BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 14: Linus Ullmark #35 of the Boston Bruins looks on during the second period against the Toronto Maple Leafs at TD Garden on January 14, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

    BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – JANUARY 14: Linus Ullmark #35 of the Boston Bruins looks on during the second period against the Toronto Maple Leafs at TD Garden on January 14, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

  • As a fan of goalie mask art, I must admit that it’s been pretty refreshing to go from a goaltender who quite literally never changed his mask (Tuukka Rask) t0 one who’s giving us a new look every few months.

    (Also: I think Rask was a little superstitious about his masks, whether he’d admit it or not, as I remember he wore a mask with the Zakim Bridge and an ode to past B’s netminders on it back in 2011, but quickly ditched it after he surrendered five goals in a loss to the Red Wings. It was the first and only time he wore that mask.)

    Ullmark and the Bruins return to action Thursday night when they play host to the Oilers.