Nylander says missing the World Hockey Championships had nothing to do with brother

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Mike Armenti
August 24, 2023 (9:25)

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When the Toronto Maple Leafs were eliminated from the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Florida Panthers, the focus almost immediately shifted to William Nylander's reported desire to play for Sweden at the World Hockey Championships. Nylander loves his international play and all sides pointed to him joining Sweden as quickly as he could.

Nylander ended up missing the tournament despite being adamant that he wanted to play. There had been a rumour circulating that Nylander did not want to bump his brother, Alex, from the roster, and so he had passed on the opportunity to play in order to give his brother a chance to play. In an interview in Sweden this week, Nylander was asked whether his status at the tournament had anything to do with his brother. He vehemently denies any such claims.

"Regarding William Nylander's decision not to join Sweden at the IIHF World Hockey Championship: I'm told he was reticent about arriving late and taking someone's spot in the lineup, especially since it may have belonged to his brother Alex." - Chris Johnston in May of 2023.

In his latest interview, Nylander said his brother Alex had nothing to do with his decision, but wouldn't get specific about his reasons.

Interviewer: "Was there any truth in the information that you did not want to push out Alexander?"

Nylander: "No, there wasn't."

I: "What was it about then?"

N: "I will not say."

I: "Alexander said during the World Cup that you were heard every day, what did you talk about most during those days?"

N: "I was prepared to come. That was what the conversation was about. Then there was trouble."

I: "A lot of people get curious when you say "trouble", what does that mean? Many will probably continue to speculate now."

N: "You can do that."

Expressen.se

Nylander did not get into the specifics of what prevented him from playing in the tournament, which didnt do much to dissuade any speculation. The Leafs winger is seemingly unphased by media attention and speculation. I suppose you'd have to be to thrive in a volatile hockey market like Toronto.

Source: Expressen.se
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