William Nylander

William Nylander, born on May 1, 1996, in Calgary, is a Swedish professional hockey player for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Many consider him one of the best offensive players of his generation.

William Nylander career

William was born into a true hockey family. His father, Michael Nylander, played 920 games in the NHL. His uncles, Peter and Thommy, also played professional hockey, and his younger brother Alexander currently plays for the Toronto Marlies.

He spent most of his childhood in North America while his father played for several NHL teams. William often played outdoor hockey with Henrik Lundqvist when his father played for the New York Rangers. His family moved back to Sweden when William was 14 years old.

In 2013, William made his senior debut for Södertälje SK in the Swedish HockeyAllsvenskan and played alongside his father, Michael. William recorded one assist in that game.

The Toronto Maple Leafs selected Nylander eighth overall in the 2014 NHL Draft. He made his NHL debut on February 29, 2016, and scored his first NHL goal on March 5 against the Ottawa Senators. Brooks Laich assisted the goal—the same player who had assisted William’s father Michael on his last NHL goal.

Since then, William has established himself as one of the Maple Leafs’ key players, scoring at least 40 goals in each of the past three seasons.

On the international stage, William Nylander won gold with Team Sweden at the 2017 World Championship.