Leafs star William Nylander gives shoutout to Toronto restaurant

The Toronto Maple Leafs might forever be one of the biggest shows in town, but that doesn’t mean that its biggest stars aren’t still human.

Despite making more money than most of us will ever see in our lives and having thousands of eyes watching their every move, the Leafs players still find ways to mix and mingle with the general public.

Few know this phenomenon better than William Nylander, who has spent his whole career with the organization since being drafted a decade ago in 2014.

At a launch event for the upcoming docuseries Faceoff: Inside the NHL hosted in downtown Toronto on Monday, the Leafs star spoke Monday about his favourite things to do in the city, including hanging out with his dogs Banksy and Pablo, as well as a place to eat.

@blogto A big dog walker guy 🐕 #toronto #ontario #torontomapleleafs #nhl #williamnylander ♬ original sound – blogTO

“I mean, the dog walks; that’s one of my go-to’s,” Nylander said. “Just go out for dinners, hit some restaurants that I like… Sugo’s one of my favourites.”

Sugo, located in Bloordale Village near Bloor and Lansdowne, has long been a favourite of Nylanders, who often wears a hat from the restaurant around the rink.

The first episode of the upcoming series, which premieres October 4 on Prime Video, centres around Nylander’s friendship with Boston Bruins star David Pastrnak. Though the two have spent their whole careers competing against each other on rival teams, they have a longstanding friendship that dates back to playing together in Sweden as part of the Södertälje organization.

“Obviously, we have a rivalry on the ice, but we’re really good friends… making our way together to the NHL and being friends along the way was very special,” Nylander said. “I think it’s pretty interesting; not a lot of people know about that story and the paths we took to get where we are today.”

Unfortunately for Nylander and Leafs fans, the series shows the team’s heartbreaking Game 7 overtime loss in the first round to Boston, with Pastrnak scoring the series-winning goal.

“I thought it was a lot of fun… up until the last part,” Nylander said.

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