Nylander is expected to help boost Sweden's offense at the four-team tournament.

Team Sweden was the penultimate team to hit the ice for the first 4 Nations Face-Off practice sessions in Montreal on Monday.

When they hit the ice, Toronto Maple Leafs star William Nylander found himself in his favorite position, the left wing, alongside New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad and Pittsburgh Penguins forward Rickard Rakell.

"I think you already felt chemistry right off the bat in practice, so that was nice," Nylander said following the session about his linemates."

Nylander is the only Maple Leafs forward on team Sweden, joining teammates Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews for the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament. Nylander's teammates weren't very surprised about what it was like to skate with the Leafs star.

"I'm not really surprised how good he is, but it's just in terms of his, I think, just the puck-handling. And the way he sees the ice, obviously his all-around game, really," Zibanejad told reporters of Nylander. "The way he's been for the past couple of years has been awesome to see. Maybe not as much fun to play against, but I get a chance to play with him now, so I'm excited."

Nylander's Swedish team kicks off the round-robin portion of the tournament against Marner's Canadian squad on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET. 

The 4 Nations Face-Off, a best-on-best tournament featuring NHL players representing Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the United States, will take place from February 12-20, 2025, in Montreal and Boston. This marks Nylander's first appearance in a best-on-best tournament since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, providing him with another opportunity to showcase his skills against the world's elite players.

Nylander's History Representing Sweden

Nylander's journey with the Swedish national team began during his junior years, where he first displayed his exceptional talent and potential on the world stage.

Junior Career

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Senior Career

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Nylander expressed his excitement for the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off tournament in the build up. He acknowledged the strong competition and the opportunity to play alongside some of the best players in the world. When asked about the possibility of playing with Jesper Bratt, Nylander said, "I skate with Jesper a little bit in the summer, a tremendous player, and obviously we have a lot of great guys, but he would be a fun guy to play with, that's for sure." 

He also joked about the prospect of facing his Toronto Maple Leafs teammate, Auston Matthews, who will be captaining Team USA, saying, "I was telling Matty (Auston Matthews) I might drop the gloves." 

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