Last week was special for William Nylander and the Toronto Maple Leafs as they headed to Sweden for the NHL Global Series and two games against the Detroit Red Wings and Minnesota Wild.
William Nylander is one of the world’s best players at the moment and a beloved superstar in Sweden. Nylander didn’t disappoint the sold-out crowd at Avicii Arena on Friday, as he recorded three points and got the First Star of the Game against the Red Wings.
William Nylander got a massive standing ovation as he collected his award from the son of Borje Salming, the Toronto Maple Leafs icon who passed away last year.
Before the game on Friday, another Maple Leafs icon in the form of Mats Sundin surprised the team in the locker room, reading the lineup and giving a pep talk to the boys.
Fans wondered how Nylander could possibly top Friday’s performance on Sunday against the Minnesota Wild, but he once again stunned the crowd in his hometown of Stockholm.
Nylander had an assist in the first period, making it a 1-2 game, extending his incredible point-streak to 17(!) games to start the season. The game ended 3-3 in regulation and went to overtime, where Nylander once again proved why he’s considered one of the best players in the world right now.
Nylander took the puck in his own end, went coast to coast, and finished the whole thing off with a neat backhand in the net. Nylander once again had the crowd off their seats as he won the game all by himself.
During both games in Stockholm, Nylander’s dad, Michael, who played 920 games in the NHL during a 15-year career, was in the stands. As his son scored the beautiful overtime winner on Sunday, Michael just couldn’t hide how excited he was, and his reaction to the goal was absolutely priceless.
Just see for yourself:
Nylander’s incredible start to the season comes in a contract season for the Swede. His contract is set to expire next summer, and as we’re soon in December, no agreement has been made between the Maple Leafs and Nylander.
But head coach Sheldon Keefe couldn’t praise his star player enough during postgame yesterday.
“A fitting end to the week for us, for Willy, for the fans, and for the country,” he said.
“He’s a bit of a rockstar here. We’ve seen that.”
