Nylander flipped the middle finger at a camera during the TSN broadcast of the Toronto Maple Leafs' 4-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday.
William Nylander took to his personal Instagram account and apologized for flashing the middle finger during the Toronto Maple Leafs' 4-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday.
One day later, he faced reporters, including TSN's Mark Masters, to express his regret.
"I just want to apologize for my actions yesterday," Nylander said. "I was out of frustration, so I'm sorry about that."
Nylander told reporters that after he made the gesture, he received a text saying 'not a good idea'. When asked what Toronto's leading point-getter was frustrated about, he brought it back to the groin injury that will keep him out of his sixth consecutive game when the club hosts the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday.
"Just not playing. I want to be out there with the guys," he said. "Yeah, just frustrated."
Nylander previously missed six games due to the same groin issue, so it's not a surprise to see him frustrated over his inability to play, especially while the team is going through another funk, having dropped their fourth consecutive games while sitting five points out of a playoff spot through games played on Jan. 25.
But Nylander's gesture, regardless of how offended you may or may not be, certainly grabbed the attention of fans of the game and the team.
"(He) made a mistake. He owned up to it. Things happen," Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said. "Players make mistakes. Coaches make mistakes. It happened. He knows it's wrong and he owned up to it."
The Leafs have scored just eight goals in their last four games (0-3-1), and having a healthy Nylander back would certainly help the club improve in that area. With 17 goals and 31 assists in 37 games, his 48 points lead the club by four over the next player (John Tavares with 44 points in 52 games).
The good news is Nylander is targeting a return for the Leafs' four-game road trip that begins Thursday and will go through Seattle, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton before the NHL pauses for an Olympic break.
"Hopefully, (I) will be back playing sometime on the road trip, so that's where I have my mind at."
Of course, returning on the trip would also be good for Nylander's aim to represent Sweden at the Olympics in Milan. No doubt the risk of missing that tournament, or not being 100 percent, could be playing into the star's frustration.