Read more about about how Linus Ullmark has honed in on mental preparation this year and how that's benefited the Sabres goaltending tandem.
Linus Ullmark had just put the finishing touches on a 41-save shootout victory over the Florida Panthers earlier this month when he was asked how he stayed poised through a heavy workload.
His answer was quick and concise.
"I breathe," he said, "and I enjoy the moment."
The message has been sewn onto Ullmark's blockers this season, written in Swedish in capital letters. An exclamation point adds emphasis: ANDAS OCH NJUT!
Translation: breathe and enjoy.
"Whenever I start to feel like my mind is racing or I'm going to different places I'm not supposed to be, I just look down at my blocker and I see it," Ullmark explained. "OK, this is what's important."
In those moments, Ullmark leans on the breathing techniques he's learned over the past year to bring him back to the present. Both he and fellow goaltender Carter Hutton incorporate breathing as a mental tool in one of sport's most demanding positions.
Ullmark's commitment to breathing elevated last season. It was his first full year in the NHL, bringing with it the internal and external pressure of stopping pucks in the best league in the world. His son, Harry, was born in March 2018, meaning it was also his first full season as a father.
He credits Sabres head of human science Katy Tran Turner, as well as Hutton, with helping him hone the mental side of his game.
"All these things kind of build up, and it made it a lot more important to take a step back and breathe and kind of cool off whenever there's something going on in your life," Ullmark said. "It could be on the side; it could be in the actual game as well. But it just helps you to refocus."
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