William Nylander makes young fan really, really happy

You have to give William Nylander of the Toronto Maple Leafs some credit.

To say that the last week or so has been less than ideal would be an understatement. First, his contract negotiations went right down to the wire – the man was literally minutes away from not being able to play in the NHL this season. Next, he had a less than spectacular season debut against the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night that saw him essentially stapled to the bench for the majority of the third period. Then, he and teammate Kasperi Kapanen were involved in a minor car crash near the Maple Leafs’ practice facility Friday afternoon.

Yet, despite all of that stress and negativity, the 22-year-old Swede took the time to make a young fan’s day before his team’s clash with the Boston Bruins on Saturday night.

That kid is the definition of fired up after receiving that puck. The smile and the hug are likely powerful enough to melt even the ‘grinchiest’ of hearts during this festive time of the year.

It’s always great to see that NHLers such as Nylander are aware of the impact that they can have on someone with a simple gesture.

While many members of ‘Leaf Nation’ haven’t been too pleased with his play since his return (yes – it’s true that he’s only played in one game, but these are Leafs fans that we’re talking about, remember), we’re pretty sure that he now has at least one supporter in his corner.

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