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Toronto Maple Leafs foward William Nylander made an obscene gesture at a TSN camera when it showed him and other injured teammates during Sunday’s loss to the visiting Colorado Avalanche.David Zalubowski/The Associated Press
Just in case the Toronto Maple Leafs, losers of four straight games, didn’t have enough problems on the ice, star forward William Nylander has handed them one off it, too.
Nylander, who leads the Leafs in scoring despite sitting out the past five games with a groin injury, flipped the bird at the TSN cameras during Sunday’s 4-1 home loss to the Colorado Avalanche.
Maple Leafs’ struggles deepen in loss to Avalanche
The broadcast crew of Gord Miller and Mike Johnson discussed a group of healthy scratches and injured Leafs players up in the press box early in the third period. As the camera panned across the group, Nylander raised his middle finger.
It’s a bad look for a team that is already struggling to qualify for the playoffs and extend its active NHL-high post-season streak to a 10th consecutive year. And it looks worse given that Sunday’s game was the annual Next Gen contest, a matinee game focused on getting young fans into Scotiabank Arena to see a Leafs hockey game.
Nylander, who is set to represent Sweden at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics next month, took to social media Sunday evening to apologize.
“Only love for Leafs Nation,” he wrote on an Instagram story along with blue-and-white heart emojis and a pair of hands making a heart.
“Sorry about my moment of frustration today! Didn’t mean to upset anyone. Looking forward to being back on the ice and not in the stands [crying emoji]. Love Willy.”
After Sunday’s resounding defeat in the midst of a Toronto snowstorm that caused the Leafs to cancel Monday’s public practice at Mattamy Centre, the team is in need of a shot of positive PR. Nylander, long known for his laid back, cool demeanour, has given them anything but, with his error of judgement drawing an “Oh, Willy,” comment from Miller, TSN’s play-by-play voice, on air.
