BOSTON — All eyes were on Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark to see if the two would still hug it out when the Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators collided at TD Garden on Saturday night.
And they made sure to get their much anticipated hug out of the way before the two sides even dropped the puck.
Swayman and Ullmark came together at mid-ice as both teams began their pregame warmups and shared a brief encounter. The two embraced each other — not as emphatic as a hug as they used to give one another celebrating a win — and then posed for a photo.
You can catch the interaction between Swayman and Ullmark here.
The two turned competitors after that moment with Swayman trying to lead the Bruins to a fourth win in five games while Ullmark, who owns a 2-4 record with a 3.02 goals-against average and a .892 save percentage with Ottawa, looked to get the Senators on track following three losses over their last four games.
Story continues below advertisement
Swayman was filled with mixed emotions going against Ullmark. The former goalie tandem spent three seasons together and developed a tight-knit bond — Swayman calls Ullmark his “brother for life” — before Ullmark was traded to the Senators this offseason for Joonas Korpisalo, Mark Kastelic and a 2024 first-round pick.
The two clearly are still close and hold much admiration for another, but only one will walk away with a win Saturday.
Featured image via Nov 9, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) hugs Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark (35) before a game at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty/Imagn Images