Advertisement

Why Maple Leafs' Star William Nylander Was Named An Alternate Captain Sweden At The 4 Nations Face-Off

david alter
·3 min read

William Nylander will not only be taking part in the 4 Nations Face-Off next month, but he'll also be a part of the leadership group.

The Toronto Maple Leafs star was named as an alternate captain for Sweden on Thursday.

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman was named captain, while Edmonton Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm and Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson joined Nylander as alternates.

Ahead of Toronto's 3-1 loss against the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday, Nylander spoke about the upcoming tournament, set to take place in Montreal and Boston from Feb. 12-20, joking that the team has a group chat established, although nobody has chimed in yet.

Related: '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

The 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament marks a significant milestone in Nylander's international career, as it will be his first appearance in a best-on-best tournament since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. The tournament, hosted by the NHL, will temporarily replace the NHL All-Star game for 2025. Teams representing Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the United States will compete in a round-robin format, followed by a final game between the top two teams. Nylander was named to the Swedish roster in the summer of 2024 as part of the country's "first six" players.

Nylander's has represented Sweden at both the junior and senior levels.

Related: 'I Was Telling Matty (Auston Matthews) I Might Drop The Gloves': Maple Leafs' William Nylander Jokes About Going Up Against Teammate Auston Matthews At 4 Nations Face-Off

Nylander's Junior Career in Sweden

  • 2013 World U-17 Hockey Challenge: Nylander led the tournament in assists with 8, playing a crucial role in Sweden's gold medal victory. This early success signaled his potential as a playmaker on the international stage.

  • 2014 IIHF World U18 Championships: Nylander dominated the tournament, leading all scorers with an impressive 16 points in 7 games. This performance solidified his status as a top prospect for the upcoming NHL draft.

  • 2015 World Junior Championships: Nylander continued to shine, finishing fifth in tournament scoring, the highest among players not on the Canadian team.

  • 2016 World Junior Championships: Unfortunately, a concussion sustained in the first game cut short his tournament. Despite this setback, Nylander's junior career with Sweden demonstrated his offensive capabilities and set the stage for his future success.

Nylander's International Career with Sweden

  • 2017 IIHF World Championship: Nylander made his senior team debut in spectacular fashion, leading Sweden to a gold medal. He led the tournament in scoring with 14 points in 10 games and was named the most valuable player.

  • 2019 IIHF World Championship: Nylander once again led the tournament in scoring with 18 points in 8 games. However, Sweden was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Finland.

  • 2022 IIHF World Championship: Nylander contributed 5 points in 3 games, but Sweden fell to Canada in the quarterfinals

Stay updated with the most interesting Maple Leafs stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.