William Nylander often does his postgame interviews shirtless — a habit he picked up from Joe Thornton. When Thornton — now a Hall of Fame inductee — heard about it, he had a priceless response.
Nylander has made a name for himself not only as an elite hockey player but also for his swagger, earning him the nickname “Willy Styles.” On a Toronto Maple Leafs team that has struggled early in the season, Nylander has been a bright spot, recording 18 points in 10 games so far.
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Joe Thornton and William Nylander teammates
Joe Thornton, a 2025 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee, had a brief stint with the Maple Leafs during the 2020–21 season. Ahead of the Hall of Fame ceremony on November 10, NHL.com published a profile on Thornton, featuring voices from across the league praising him as both a great player and a great person.
Priceless response
One of those voices was his former Leafs teammate William Nylander, who shared that his postgame shirtless interviews were inspired by Thornton.
“He showed me. He led the way, so I might as well follow. He’s one of one,” Nylander told NHL.com.
When Thornton heard that he’d inspired Nylander to go shirtless after games, he responded with a perfectly on-brand quip:
“That’s because when you’re sexy like us, you flaunt it.”
A very Joe Thornton answer.
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