The general manager of the Ottawa Senators is taking aim at “sick people” spreading online rumours about goaltender Linus Ullmark’s personal leave.
Steve Staios, who is also the team’s president of hockey operations, said Thursday he was “disgusted” over the “fabricated” rumours surrounding Ullmark, who has been away from the team since Dec. 28 for personal reasons.
Staios issued a strongly worded statement to “put an end to the ridiculous speculation” spreading on the Internet.
“Our organization was extremely disappointed to read the completely fabricated and false stories that are spreading around social media about our hockey club,” the statement reads.
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“Linus is away from our team for personal reasons and he has the entire organization’s support.”
Staios added the team had asked for his privacy to be respected.
“Clearly that request was not heard by the lowest forms of trolls and sick people who scour the Internet,” he said.
“We are disgusted that outside forces are attempting to disrupt our hockey club.”
After announcing Ullmark’s leave on Dec. 28, Staios said the team would provide no further comments.
The day after, Senators Captain Brady Tkachuk told reporters Ullmark has the team’s full support.
“Obviously I don’t know much and obviously I’m going to respect everything that’s going on, but when you have a teammate going through something like that, he knows that our whole team, our whole organization, is backing him,” he said.
“For us as teammates, always be there for him. … He knows that we’re always there, and he’s such a big part of our team on the ice (and) off the ice.”
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