'The Entire Day Was Special And Seeing Him Out There': What Alex And William Nylander Enjoyed Most About First Game Together With Maple Leafs In Win Over Utah Hockey Club

Sunday was a day that Toronto Maple Leafs forwards Alex and William Nylander will never forget.

The two brothers played an NHL game on the same team for the first time ever and became the fifth pair of brothers to play together in a game with the Maple Leafs.

"I mean, it's an amazing feeling and really special feeling to be here on this team and my brother here," said Alex, who played 10:37 in Toronto's 3-2 win over the Utah Hockey Club on Sunday. "It's something I'll remember forever."

The two drove to the game together, walked in together, and even took a photo during the team's warmup. Alex admitted after the game that there weren't many nerves going into the game, however, William called the first period crazy.

"I mean, just the entire day was special and seeing him out there. The first period was kind of just like crazy. It felt pretty crazy and then settled in and it felt more normal, said William, "It was very special, and, of course, we got the win, which was nice."

William got on the board during the second period, stealing the puck at the Maple Leafs' blue line, creating a partial break for himself and beating Karel Vejmelka through the five-hole.

It was William's 14th goal of the season, but first with his brother, Alex, on the ice with him as a teammate. After William's goal, the brothers got a couple more shifts together in the game, and the 28-year-old hopes that can happen more in the future.

"Obviously, that was a lot of fun," William said. "I mean, if he stays up, it would be nice to get some more together."

After he joked on Saturday that Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube could watch his media availability and pair the brothers together in a game setting, did he follow that up with some conversations on Toronto's bench?

"No, I didn't say anything," William smiled. "It was just all Cheif's call."

Alex had a couple of chances against the Utah Hockey Club on Sunday, including one opportunity, which bounced off the post. He finished the game with two shots while his brother, William, concluded the game with five, plus an assist on Mitch Marner's second goal of the night.

Berube called the evening memorable, adding that two brothers playing in the NHL as teammates doesn't often happen.

"Well, I think it's great. I mean, for sure, anytime you can play with your brother and play some shifts with your brothers and be on the ice with them, that's a special thing," the head coach said on Sunday.

"It's a special situation. Very happy for both of them and their dad, who was a player in the league for a long time."

Their father, Michael Nylander, was inside Scotiabank Arena for the historic evening, watching as his two sons made history.

"Yeah, he obviously is really happy and it's a big moment to play our first game," said Alex. "He just said, you know, same thing as every game: just play your game and work hard and be on the forecheck. So just the same thing as usual, and yeah, it was good."

It was a unique moment for Alex and William, and something they'd never felt before. Both want to continue playing on the same team and Alex, who began the year with the Marlies on an AHL deal, understands what he needs to do to remain in the NHL.

"I just got to work hard every shift. Like I said, be heavy on the forecheck, win battles, and when I do that, the rest of my game comes," he said. "Obviously, just try to use my shot as much as possible and create plays and be good defensively."