Swayman and Ullmark's hug could go down in hockey history

Boston goaltenders Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark have no choice but to win the Stanley Cup.

Goaltenders Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark have made it a tradition to hug and exchange nets after games.

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Former Yankees pitchers Fritz Peterson and Mike Kekich may have been the closest teammates in the history of professional sports. Both Peterson and Kekic, who were on the team before the start of the 1970s, became close friends and spent enough time with each other and each other's families, resulting in a situation that appears to have been intentionally created. jerry springer show.

In 1972, both pitchers jointly announced during spring training that they were changing families and children, with Peterson falling in love with Kekic's wife Suzanne, who had died the previous week, and Kekic falling in love with Peterson's wife Marilyn. It contains. “It can get messy if people don't know the details. Don't say this was a wife swap, it wasn't,” Kekich said. new york daily news at that time. “We didn't exchange wives, we exchanged lives.”

In 2024, Boston Bruins goaltenders Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark haven't swapped wives or lives, but after doing the same thing for most of last year, they're back in the net just like they have been this entire NHL season. The start is being replaced. The unconventional approach of swapping goaltenders paid off during last year's regular season, when the Bruins finished with the most wins and points in league history, only to lose in the first round of the playoffs.

Still, Boston continued to deploy the combo platter of Swayman and Ullmark this season, and once again performed well, finishing the season in second place in the Atlantic Division with a record of 47 wins, 20 losses, and 15 draws. Now facing the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the playoffs, Swayman and Ullmark are still trading places on the net. And they're also continuing the other thing they've been doing since October 16, 2021: Hug It Out.

What began at the beginning of the 2021-22 season with the two Bruins goaltenders spontaneously exchanging a hug after a game is now standard for Black & Gold fans, whether they like it or not. It was a great scene. Swayman and Ullmark, who are not only teammates but rivals on the ice and in paychecks, push everything aside when the horn sounds, no matter who has just played the third period. They hugged each other as if they weren't watching.

“More than just a fun way to say goodbye to the night, it has grown into a broader message about good sportsmanship, camaraderie, and genuine care and respect between two teammates competing for playing time.” Swayman and Ullmark say. boston globe Written in 2022.

The three-season tradition, beloved by those who don't work as the Bruins' trainer, has been ridiculed by others, including a cadre of Boston sports talk radio callers, many of whom also posted online. I don't like trading Swayman for Ullmark. That's not something that's normally done in the NHL, unless for some other reason. In a league that insists on postseason series handshake lines to the point of almost meaninglessness, some see Swayman and Ullmark's postgame hug as a penalty.

Changing that perspective, as is often the case in sports (for better or worse), would be relatively easy. Because winning a championship makes almost any kind of uncool behavior, if not downright Fonz-like, acceptable. Just win, baby.

Swayman did just that in Game 1 of the best-of-seven series between Boston and Toronto, as the Bruins opened the postseason with a nearly scoreless run, defeating the Maple Leafs 5-1. Although not perfect and no doubt helped by shots deflected off the crossbar and goal post, Swayman played well enough to earn a start in Game 2 against the Leafs. However, as has been the case since February, he did not take the ice in back-to-back games and was replaced by his hugging buddy Ullmark. Much to the chagrin of traditionalists who don't believe in goalie swaps or hockey hug-outs. Although Ullmark played well, the move was highly questionable as the Bruins lost by a final score of 3-2 on Monday.

Amid goalie rotations and even hugs heading into Wednesday night's Game 3, Boston coach Jim Montgomery stayed the course and gave Swayman the starting nod. Montgomery earned a 4-2 win over Toronto, and Ullmark was rewarded with a postgame hug from Swayman, who made 28 saves in the win. Considering Swayman is undefeated in the series against the Leafs, 6-0-0 against Toronto, and has a .959 save percentage and 1.31 goals-against average over the past two seasons, Montgomery could be removed from the goalie rotation ahead of Game 4. There is sex. on Saturday night. Even if you do, you should continue to hug.

Unfortunately, no matter who starts or what happens in Toronto on Saturday, there's a good chance the Bruins won't win the Stanley Cup this season. But even if they don't, Swayman and Ullmark may have already done enough to make men, and not just men, cool and hug them.