William Nylander has missed the last five games for the Toronto Maple Leafs due to a groin injury. But that didn’t stop him from stealing headlines during Sunday’s matchup against the Colorado Avalanche. Now, Nylander — and possibly the Maple Leafs — could face further punishment for his shenanigans.
Despite having played only 37 games this season, Nylander leads the struggling Maple Leafs in points. Earlier in January, he suffered a groin injury against the Vegas Golden Knights. While he has started skating again, there is still no timetable for his return.
READ MORE: William Nylander under fire for calling out teammates
Maple Leafs losing streak
Nylander has been sidelined for the past five Maple Leafs games, four of which ended in losses. With just one win in their last seven games, Toronto currently sits five points outside of a Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. Despite not being on the ice during Sunday’s 4–1 loss to the Avalanche, Nylander still found himself in the spotlight — by flipping off a TV camera.
William Nylander flipped off TV camera
During the game, the broadcast zoomed in on Maple Leafs players watching from the stands who were not in the lineup. When Nylander noticed the camera on him, he raised his middle finger. Shortly after, he took to Instagram to issue an apology.
“Only love for Leafs Nation. Sorry about my moment of frustration today. Didn’t mean to upset anyone. Looking forward to being back on the ice and not in the stands. Love, Willy,” the post read.
Could face punishment
However, Nylander and the Maple Leafs could still face consequences for the off-ice incident.
“The NHL is looking at this William Nylander incident, per sources. It’s possible the Leafs forward will face punishment for flipping the middle finger at the broadcast camera during today’s game,” insider Chris Johnston wrote on X.
You can watch the incident below.
READ MORE: Former Maple Leafs enforcer calls out William Nylander
