Leafs’ Nylander apologizes for giving camera middle finger during game broadcast

William Nylander may not have been in the lineup on Sunday, but he still wound up apologizing.

The Toronto Maple Leafs forward, injured for the fifth straight game with a lower-body injury, was sitting in a box with a handful of injured teammates during the Leafs’ afternoon matchup against the Colorado Avalanche. When the television broadcast showed the players, Nylander noticed they were on TV and proceeded to give a middle finger to the camera.

Screenshots of the moment were shared on social media, with “William Nylander” being one of the top trends in Canada on X late into the evening.

The Leafs went on to lose 4-1, with Avalanche forward Brock Nelson recording a hat trick. Max Domi scored the lone goal for Toronto with a minute left in the third period, spoiling a shutout for Mackenzie Blackwood, who stopped 32 of 33 shots.

Shortly after the game, Nylander shared an apology on his Instagram story, saying he only has “love for Leafs Nation.”

“Sorry about my moment of frustration today! (I) didn’t mean to upset anyone,” Nylander wrote. “Looking forward to being back on the ice and not in the stands.”

Toronto is now 24-19-9 with 57 points, which puts them seventh in the Atlantic Division and five points back of a Wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference.

Through 37 games, Nylander has 17 goals and 31 assists for 48 points. The 29-year-old winger has missed 15 contests in 2025-26 with a variety of injuries.

Now in his 11th NHL season, Nylander has 279 goals and 381 assists for 660 points in 722 career regular-season games. He’s hit the 40-goal mark three times, including a career-high 45 goals in 2024-25. He finished with a career-high 98 points in 2023-24.