Linus Ullmark opens up on Sweden's Olympic roster following IIHF World Championship snub

Linus Ullmark has faced ups and downs with Team Sweden. In May, he was disappointed after being left off the IIHF World Championship roster in Stockholm.

Now, with the 2026 Winter Olympics coming closer, Ullmark’s name is back in the mix. Sweden announced the first six players for its preliminary roster in June, and while Ullmark was not among them, he remains one of the goalies projected to make the final team.

On the 32 Thoughts podcast with Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas, Ullmark said he is not thinking about the Olympics. He explained that his focus is on playing well with the Ottawa Senators.

“You shouldn’t take things in life for granted, right? Sometimes you get to experience it firsthand," Ullmark said Tuesday. "Sometimes you don’t. But at the same time, I will not be thinking about the Olympics. Because it’s not important.

“What’s important is what I do now, what I do tomorrow -- and that’s going to be together with my fellas in Ottawa.”

He also said that if he does not perform for his NHL team, he will have no chance to represent Sweden.

Ullmark had a consistent 2024-25 season in Ottawa, finishing with 25 wins, four shutouts and a .910 save percentage. His best year came with Boston in 2022-23, when he won 40 games and earned the Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goaltender. Over 10 NHL seasons, he has collected 163 wins with a career .917 save percentage.

Sweden already has strong options in net with Jacob Markstrom and Filip Gustavsson, but Linus Ullmark is still seen as part of the group.

Linus Ullmark disappointed after Senators' playoff exit

Earlier in May, Linus Ullmark spoke after the Senators lost to the Maple Leafs in Game 6. The loss ended Ottawa’s first playoff run since 2017, making Ullmark sad and disappointed.

"It’s just gut-wrenching, in a way," the Senators' goalie said, via The Athletic. "It’s kind of like a weight off your shoulder that there’s no more pressure or there’s no more games.

"But at the same time, when you think about that, you get really sad because there’s no more hockey until September."

Ullmark said the team gained valuable experience in this series. He mentioned how small mistakes can decide playoff games. The Senators worked hard, and they fought back after falling behind 3-0 in the series. Still, they could not force a Game 7.