Leafs' Nylander shoves brother Alex before game against Penguins
Saturday night’s game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Pittsburgh Penguins was a special one for the Nylander family.
Leafs forward William Nylander was able to reunite with his brother Alex Nylander, who now plays for the Penguins. The two were able to find each other during warm-up for a photo and to take part in the usual sibling antics.
Brotherly love. 💙💛 pic.twitter.com/U02Qu4MHEq
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 26, 2023
Though William has had the better career of the two, scoring 457 points in the NHL to Alex’s 34, it was the Penguins forward who had the last laugh this time around. Neither brother was able to put any points on the board as the Leafs dropped a 3-2 decision.
This isn’t the first time the brothers have faced off against each other in the NHL. That came way back in 2016 when Alex was in his rookie season with the Buffalo Sabres. It was before that game that William had a quote that signalled the end of a history of playing on the same side together.
“I guess it’s [about] time to face each other,” William told reporters at the time. “No friends anymore.”
It’s been a tale of two very different NHL careers for the Nylander brothers. Both entered the league as eight overall picks in their respective drafts with William going to the Leafs in 2014 and Alex being selected by the Buffalo Sabres in 2016.
Since then, William has blossomed into a star for the Leafs while Alex has struggled to remain in the NHL on a consistent basis, having just 96 games under his belt.
William has also been the busier of the brothers recently. The Leafs’ leading scorer is fresh off a Global Series trip to his native Sweden and just starred in a hilarious Rogers commercial featuring both his mom and sister.
If Alex is able to stick in the Penguins lineup for the rest of the season, the two will meet next on December 16, where William will be looking to exact revenge for the Leafs.