Michael Nylander was not only an incredible player.
He was a real beauty outside of it.
Like the time he got the chance to give back to an old coach – and put the comment of the times.
Michael Nylander was drafted in the third round in 1991. The following year he won World Cup gold with Tre Kronor, which led to him getting the chance to cross the Atlantic to North America, and there he remained for a long, long time. And talk about a successful career.
Doubtful attitude
In total, there were almost 1,000 matches in the world’s best league, and then he accounted for an impressive 679 points. In total, there were games in seven different teams in the NHL, and there was not really a single season where he did really badly. Nylander always kept an impressive score, even though there were always reports that he had a bit of a shitty attitude in training.
When the Toronto Maple Leafs would draft William Nylander, they are said to have hesitated, precisely because of father Michael’s reputation. Many thought that he was not always a good teammate, and a little selfish, which thus led to concerns that William would be the same. But no matter what, it is not possible to question Michael’s qualities on the ice, which thus led to the incredibly successful career. For example, not many are allowed to play 15 seasons in the NHL.
The clean comment
But Nylander had his fair share of quarrels with NHL coaches, and if he had problems with how a team was run or how it would be played, then he was not afraid to say so. And Nylander could actually be really funny and resourceful off the ice, when he talked to the media. The best example came in 2007.
Pierre McGuire had been the coach of Nylander at the Hartford Whalers, but was then a reporter down by the ice, and interviewed Nylander during a match when he played with the Rangers. McGuire said that Nylander “looked like he was having fun on the ice”, and wondered why. Nylander then came with the clearest comment.
– Because I do not have to take your shit anymore, he said.
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