Linus Ullmark says Thor: Ragnarok is a great movie, but he turned to renowned artist David Gunnarsson to paint a better — and more realistic — picture of Norse mythology on his latest goalie mask, which he wore for the first time on Thursday night as he led the Sens to victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets.
“It’s quite fun when you delve into it and start reading,” Ullmark told Sens360’s Jackson Starr about Norse mythology. Of course, that’s where Jörmungandr, the evil snake that cuts through the Senators’ ‘O’ logo on the top of his helmet came from.
“It is a snake that plays a huge part in [Thor: Ragnarok],” said Ullmark, noting with a laugh that the movie is “not very accurate” to the source material.
Ullmark’s son, Harry, requested a dragon on his father’s mask, and he obliged while competing for Sweden at the 4 Nations Faceoff last February, turning to the hockey world’s pre-eminent mask artist and his fellow Swede, Gunnarson, for a blue design.
“I really liked the way that Dave made the dragon, so I talked to him about [bringing it back]. I wanted to have a clean, white mask for road games. Instead of doing a lot of things on it, I wanted to have it more like it’s encircling the whole mask, kind of like what it does on a mythology wall [carving], circling around the world.”
Ullmark also included Norse god Odin’s eight-legged horse, Sleipnir, based on his daughter Lily’s request for a unicorn. Sleipnir also made an appearance on his 4 Nations mask.
“He’s doing such a great job of making it detailed, but clean at the same time,” said Ullmark.
“So from the distance, it works very well with the colours, the jerseys, the uniform. But then you come up closer and look at one of the details, it’s probably one of my absolute favourite masks that we’ve ever done.”
The 32-year-old has admired Gunnarsson’s work for years, noting in particular his longstanding work for Canadian netminder Marty Turco. “It goes back a little bit about how Dave became a guy that I really wanted to work with,” said Ullmark.
“This really reminds me of that time, when I was looking at old pictures of the new masks in the NHL, I’m like, ‘I really want to get one of those when I’m older,' and really longed for it at the time,” Ullmark said, noting Turco’s designs in Dallas with golems and gargoyles in particular.
On the back of Ullmark’s masks are usually a few constants. First are runestones, a Swedish tradition from the late Viking Age. Next is the phrase “Hakuna Matata,” roughly translating to “there are no troubles” in Swahili, popularized by The Lion King. The crest of his first ever team, Lugnviks IF, appears at the top.
“I always want to have that on there, for my own sake, remembering where I came from, how far I’ve come,” explained Ullmark. “And pay homage or tribute to people that helped me in my junior days to make hockey feel like the best thing in the world.
In lieu of his family members’ names, which are normally included, there are silver bears and bear cubs, symbolizing himself, his wife, Moa, and his children. The meticulous Ullmark adapts those sentimental touches to the themes of his masks.
“They’re always going to be there,” said Ullmark, noting that nods to his children also appear on his blocker.
