Yahoo Sports 'I Think Someone Set Up A Team Chat, Nobody Has Said Anything': Maple Leafs' William Nylander Talks Team Sweden Ahead Of 4 Nations Face-Off
Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander spoke about playing for Team Sweden ahead of his team's final home game before the NHL breaks for the 4 Nations Face-Off next month.
Nylander was named to the team back in the summer as part of the country's 'first six' players and shared that the team has established a way to communicate.
"I think somebody set up a team chat, nobody said anything," Nylander laughed.
It's not surprising that nobody has made the first move in the group chat given the NHL doesn't break until Feb. 8. The Leafs have five games remaining in their schedule until then and Nylander himself said he's keeping the focus on the task at hand as his club prepared to host the Minnesota Wild at Scotiabank Arena.
But despite the lack of communication in the group chat, Nylander has been engaged in some discussions with teammates for the tournament, including New Jersey Devils forward Jesper Bratt.
"I skate with Jesper a little bit in the summer, a tremendous player, and obviously we have a lot of great guys, but he would be a fun guy to play with, that's for sure," Nylander said
The 28-year-old forward has represented Sweden at many different levels but this will be his first best-on-best tournament.
Nylander at the Junior Level:
2013 World U-17 Hockey Challenge: Nylander led the tournament in assists with 8, helping Sweden win the gold medal.
2014 IIHF World U18 Championships: He was a dominant force, leading the tournament in scoring with 16 points in 7 games.
2015 World Junior Championships: Nylander finished fifth in tournament scoring, the highest of any player not on the Canadian team.
2016 World Junior Championships: Unfortunately, his tournament was cut short due to a concussion sustained in the first game.
Nylander at the Senior Level:
2017 IIHF World Championship: Nylander made his senior team debut and led Sweden to a gold medal. He was the tournament's leading scorer with 14 points in 10 games and was named the MVP.
2019 IIHF World Championship: He led the tournament in scoring with 18 points in 8 games, but Sweden fell to Finland in the quarterfinals.
2022 IIHF World Championship: Nylander contributed 5 points in 3 games, but Sweden was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Canada
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