Ottawa Senators Defenseman Jake Sanderson breaks silence, apologizes for public criticism of Ottawa squad

Ottawa Senators Give Leevi Meriläinen a Breather as Jake Sanderson Apologizes

The Ottawa Senators have finally decided to give goaltender Leevi Meriläinen a break. The 23-year-old Finnish netminder has been thrust into a difficult starter’s role this season, and the results have been rough.

With Linus Ullmark out and limited options, Meriläinen struggled to keep up, posting an 8-10-1 record with a 3.51 GAA and .860 save percentage this season. Since early January, he’s played in nine games, going 4-3-1. The Sens recently signed veteran James Reimer, signaling that a change was coming.

As part of that adjustment, Ottawa announced today that Meriläinen has been reassigned to the AHL’s Belleville Senators, while Hunter Shepard is recalled to the NHL roster.

Earlier this week, teammate Jake Sanderson publicly criticized Meriläinen after a 6-5 overtime loss to Montreal, saying, “you gotta make more than 10 saves.” Today, Sanderson apologized, telling reporters he spoke to Meriläinen personally.

“First off, I’m pretty embarrassed,” Sanderson said. “After a game, you’ve got to take a few deep breaths. I talked to Leevi and apologized. I feel really bad. Leevi’s a great guy. That’s not what good teammates do — you build each other up, not tear each other down.”

Meriläinen now has the chance to regain his confidence and form in the AHL. The young goalie has the talent but isn’t yet ready for a full-time NHL starting role, especially with Ottawa struggling over the past month.