Ex-Maple Leafs goalie publicly beefing with former Bruins goalie Linus Ullmark
Former Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Ilya Samsonov appears to have no love lost for ex-Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark.
Naturally, with the Maple Leafs and Bruins being heated division rivals, it's easy to see why players from either side wouldn't like each other. However, even though Samsonov has moved on from the Leafs, signing with the Vegas Golden Knights, it would appear as though his competitive spirit has remained.
Samsonov took to social media over the weekend to chirp Linus Ullmark, warning him of a date that he has circled on his calendar -- November 21st -- when the Vegas Golden Knights are scheduled to meet Ullmark's Ottawa Senators.
The usually mild-mannered Samsonov came off as a bit aggressive on Instagram towards Ullmark, which was confusing since he posted a heart emoji on his original comment, which seemed to indicate a congratulatory message towards Ullmark, who was recently named the 10th best goalie in the league by the NHL Network. As it turns out, Samsonov was mocking Ullmark, who recently revealed in an interview that the Leafs likely beat the Bruins in Round 1 this past season if Joseph Woll had been the starter from Game 1 onward.
"I was surprised that they kept [Ilya] Samsonov in for that many games against us in the playoffs. I felt that every time we played the Leafs and he [Joseph Woll] was in net, it felt like it was more of a challenge even though I'm not a player. Just watching him, it looked like he was in so much more control of the situation that was thrown at him."
Clearly Samsonov has held a grudge.
Samsonov signed a 1-year deal with the Golden Knights at the start of free agency, hoping to turn the page on a tumultuous 2023-24 season. Meanwhile, Ullmark was dealt by the Bruins to the Ottawa Senators this summer to make room under the salary cap to sign RFA goaltender Jeremy Swayman to a massive contract extension, which is still being negotiated.
Source for Ullmark comments: The Hockey News
'I Was Surprised That They Kept (Ilya) Samsonov In For That Many Games': Bruins' Linus Ullmark Reflects on Stanley Cup Playoff Series Victory Against Maple Leafs
POLL |
AOUT 12 | 906 ANSWERS Ex-Maple Leafs goalie publicly beefing with former Bruins goalie Linus Ullmark Will Ilya Samsonov have a better season than Linus Ullmark in 2024-25? |
Yes | 217 | 24 % |
No | 538 | 59.4 % |
LOL | 151 | 16.7 % |
List of polls |
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