The Ottawa Senators have inked a contract with veteran goaltender James Reimer, aged 37, securing his services for the remainder of the current season. The agreement, valued at $850,000, comes in light of Linus Ullmark, the Senators’ starting goalie, taking a temporary personal absence.
Reimer, who has played for seven other NHL teams previously, boasts an extensive career spanning 525 games since his debut in December 2010 with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Notably, the Manitoba native appeared in 22 games for Buffalo in the previous season, where his save percentage of .901 would have positioned him as Ottawa’s top goaltender this year. Additionally, Reimer’s goals-against average of 2.90 closely aligns with Ullmark’s performance.
Recently, Reimer showcased his skills at the Spengler Cup, representing Team Canada in the annual European club hockey tournament. Following this, he secured a tryout agreement with the Belleville Senators, delivering a solid performance by stopping 22 of 28 shots in a home match against Rochester.
In a notable incident back in 2023, Reimer opted out of participating in a pre-game warmup with the San Jose Sharks, citing personal convictions based on his religious beliefs when the team sported Pride-themed jerseys. The NHL subsequently prohibited the use of “cause-based” jerseys post that season, following similar decisions made by a few other players.
Since Ullmark’s absence at the end of December, Ottawa has faced a challenging stretch, losing five out of seven games and conceding an average of four goals per game. At the midway point of the season, the team finds themselves tied with Columbus at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings with 45 points.