william nylander ttc

Toronto Maple Leafs' William Nylander says he takes the TTC to nearly every game

The Toronto Maple Leafs might be paying William Nylander nearly $7 million a season, but that hasn't stopped him from mingling with the public on his way to the rink.

Now in his ninth season with the Leafs, Nylander has collected 18 points in 13 games to start the year, while riding a franchise-record point streak to begin the season.

And while one of the league's most dynamic forwards might be expected to pull up to Scotiabank Arena each night in a flashy car, it turns out that isn't quite the case.

On Wednesday, a photo surfaced on Instagram via the account @peaceandlovesports of Nylander taking the subway to the team's game against the Ottawa Senators.

While fans reacted as you figured they would — what's a star like Nylander doing among the common folk? — it turns out it's a rather regular occurrence for the 26-year-old star forward.

"This season, I've taken the subway every game except for one. It depends on traffic. People come up and ask for pictures or say hi, but they don't really bother me. Everybody's very nice," Nylander said Thursday, as per the Toronto Sun's Terry Koshan.

Perhaps Nylander will recruit a few more of his teammates to join him on commutes moving forward, as the team traditionally rides the subway to their annual outdoor practice. However, while it might be shocking to see a name like Nylander on the subway, he's far from the first Leaf to be a regular TTC commuter.

Former Leaf Tyson Barrie used to also take the subway nearly every game, while former Leafs coach Pat Burns was also a frequent TTC rider, according to TSN's Gord Miller.

In any case, keep your eyes peeled for Nylander next time you're on the subway.

Lead photo by

peaceandlovesports/Instagram


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