Maple Leafs Star Joins Sweden at World Championships

The early exit for the Toronto Maple Leafs means a superstar forward can represent his country at the IIHF World Championship.

May 16, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs right wing William Nylander (88) moves the puck against the Florida Panthers during the third period in game six of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

While the Toronto Maple Leafs saw their season come to another disappointing end, it opened an opportunity for a superstar name to represent his home country. Following end-of-season interviews, Maple Leafs star William Nylander joined Team Sweden at the 2025 IIHF World Championship.

The tournament is partly taking place in Sweden, giving Nylander a chance to play international hockey in his native country.

Välkommen till Tre Kronor, William Nylander 🔥🔥🔥
William ansluter till laget under dagen och är spelklar till kvartsfinalen mot Tjeckien ✅ pic.twitter.com/7yGoDjWAzB

— Tre Kronor (@Trekronorse) May 21, 2025

Nylander joins the tournament just in time for Sweden to take on Czechia in the quarter-final round. Sweden has lost just once so far in the tournament, a 5-3 defeat at the hands of Team Canada.

This is the first time Nylander is representing Sweden at the IIHF World Championship since 2022 when he scored three goals and two assists for five points in three games played. Sweden did not medal that year, with host country Finland taking the gold.

Nylander has only won one medal in international play, a gold medal at the 2017 IIHF World Championship.

At the recent 4 Nations Face-Off, Nylander played three games with Sweden and only recorded a pair of assists.

In 82 games with the Maple Leafs during the 2024-25 regular season, Nylander scored a career-high 45 goals with 39 assists for 84 total points.

Nylander joins Team Sweden with the hopes of securing a gold medal for his home country on Swedish soil.

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