‘When the group chat’s going, that’s a good sign’: NHLers talk locker-room vibes

Linus Ullmark doesn’t care if a teammate has played a dozen NHL games or suited up 15 seasons.

The Ottawa Senators goaltender wants all perspectives.

“You have your opinion, you have your voice,” Ullmark said. “You want to have the young guys talking to the older guys, and not feel afraid to do that. Because when you can do that, you can have an open, honest conversation and put more emphasis on what we need to do to get better.

“Then you can be genuine with each other.”

Locker rooms, where many of those interactions take place, are sanctuaries for professional athletes where relationships are built. Other than short windows for media access, what’s inside those four walls is their space — to prepare, banter, learn, be serious, joke around, celebrate and console.

In short, what occurs or is talked about can be integral ingredients for success. So what does what NHLers call having a “good room” actually entail? 

Seattle Kraken captain Jordan Eberle said one element is a mix of characters and personalities.

“They want to compete and battle for each other,” he said. “You worry more about letting that guy down than you do about yourself. But I also think you need to hold each other accountable, being able to say that what you’re doing right now is not good enough. It should be a competitive locker room. 

“Some guys need a pat on the back, some guys can need a kick in the butt.”

Montreal Canadiens counterpart Nick Suzuki said locker-room culture starts at the top of the organization and trickles down.

“It’s tough to put into words … a lot of guys that have fun with what we’re doing,” he said. “But also when it comes time to work, we do that. You can sit with every single guy on the team. Everyone just blends in together.”

Washington Capitals centre Pierre-Luc Dubois said a locker room’s positive vibes are sometimes easy to detect.

“It’s funny and stupid at the same time, but when the group chat’s going, that’s a good sign,” he said with a grin. “Guys are comfortable to say what they want.”

Dubois added that comes from the leadership group, including NHL all-time goal leader Alex Ovechkin, making everyone feel comfortable.

“They’re so inviting to guys’ opinions,” he said. “It’s never their way or the highway. We’re all in this together. Everybody just saying what they want, and all these personalities mashed up together, it just works.” 

New York Rangers winger Will Cuylle pointed out there isn’t a one-size-fits-all road map to predict a locker room’s success or failure.

“I’ve been on teams that are super serious, some teams are super loose, and we can both be top-performing,” he said. “It’s just figuring out what works. It takes some time to figure it out. But over time, everything balances.”

New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal is convinced camaraderie and togetherness were keys to conference final runs in both 2020 and 2021.

“A lot of that was just based off of purely how great our culture was in our locker room — I really credit that,” he said. “Good guys and highly competitive (people) holding each other accountable.” 

Fun-loving Carolina Hurricanes winger Seth Jarvis, meanwhile, said every player has a role in a room’s cast of characters.

“You need people chirping each other, you need someone to be the butt of the jokes,” he said. “That’s usually what I’m on the team for.”

LISTLESS LEAFS

Viewed as contenders in training camp, the Toronto Maple Leafs have face-planted. Sure, injuries have decimated the lineup, but something looked off from the get-go for a roster that lost star winger Mitch Marner last summer.

Heading into Wednesday’s games, the Leafs (9-10-3) sat last in the Eastern Conference when in it came to points (21), points percentage (.477) and goals against per outing (3.73).

CANADIAN CONTENT

Canada saw five of its seven NHL teams make last spring’s playoffs, with Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, the Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets all qualifying.

With more than a quarter of the regular season now gone, only the Senators sat in a playoff position — third in the Atlantic Division — following Tuesday’s action.

FLYING FANTILLI

Columbus Blue Jackets centre Adam Fantilli was asked last week about strong offensive numbers put up by fellow young stars Macklin Celebrini, Connor Bedard and Leo Carlsson.

Fantilli, the third-overall pick at the 2023 draft, was slower out of the gate, but the centre had seven goals and five assists over his last 12 games that brought him to 17 points across 23 contests before facing Toronto on Wednesday.

“Those guys are having unbelievable starts to the season,” Fantilli said of his contemporaries. “It’s great to see, but it’s not something that changes the way I feel about how I’m playing.” 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 26, 2025.