Buffalo Sabres’ Jack Quinn (22) falls to the ice as he looks towards the loose puck in front of Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark (35) during first period NHL hockey action in Ottawa, on Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP) Former NHL general manager Doug Maclean has critically viewed the Ottawa Senators’ strong statement addressing the rumors related to Linus Ullmark’s alleged cheating scandal. The Ottawa Senators have vehemently condemned the rumors surrounding Linus Ullmark, which have arisen due to his prolonged absence from the team. The player has been away from the team due to some personal reasons that have not been disclosed yet. However, rumors have claimed that he is involved in a cheating scandal, which the team has denied, calling it a completely fabricated and false narrative. Maclean, in his comments, suggested that the decision to address the rumors publicly would unintentionally magnify the controversy, rather than mitigating it. He also called the situation unprecedented in his 25-year NHL career.
Former NHL General Manager Doug Maclean criticizes the Senators’ remark on the Ullmark rumor
As the Ottawa Senators president, Steve Staios issued a fiery statement condemning online trolls for spreading false rumors related to goaltender Linus Ullmark‘s leave of absence from the game, former NHL General Manager Doug Maclean has called out the team for defending the situation. He has basically offered a critical assessment of the organization’s public response amid the ongoing speculations, which might add more fuel to the fire. Speaking on Sportsnet 590 The Fan, Doug MacLean questioned whether the Senators’ public response ultimately did more harm than good. He stated, “When that comment came out last night, I was thinking, ‘No, no, don’t go there, guys.’ Just figure this out, find out when this guy is coming back, and get prepared.”He further added that the situation is unprecedented and that he has not faced any such issue over his 25-year-long NHL career. “Right now, the players don’t know what to think of it. The coaches don’t know what to think of it, and the general manager and president of hockey operations don’t know what to do, because this is a situation I’ve never come across in my lifetime. In 24 or 25 years in the NHL and 10 years in media, I’ve never seen something this bizarre,” the former GM said. (source: Sportskeeda)The Swedish goalie has been away from the team for “personal reasons” since then, and the Senators moved him to a non-roster spot on Thursday to make room for the return of veteran center Lars Eller.Ullmark was last seen playing on December 27 against Toronto, where he allowed four goals. Acquired from Boston in June 2024, he signed a four-year, $33 million extension in October. This season, Ullmark holds a 14-8-5 record with a 2.95 goals against average and an .881 save percentage in his second season with the Senators.Also read: Ottawa Senators president Steve Staios denies rumors related to Linus Ullmark’s prolonged absence from NHL | NHL News – The Times of India