Not only did the weekend feature the return of former Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner to Scotiabank Arena where he drew a controversial reaction from the fans in attendance aside from his short video tribute, there was also another bit of controversy involving a current but injured Maple Leafs player.
Forward William Nylander, who was seated in the arena press box along with fellow injured players like Dakota Joshua, Calle Jarnkrok, Philippe Myers, and Chris Tanev, was seen giving the middle finger gesture to a TSN television camera when he noticed it was on them.
Nylander has since offered an apology for what transpired, saying he did so out of frustration.
“First off, I just want to apologize for my actions yesterday, it was out of frustration, so I’m sorry about that,” he said.
When asked what he was frustrated about, Nylander admitted it was because he wasn’t able to play during what was yet another regulation loss for the Maple Leafs, this time against the Colorado Avalanche.
“Just not playing and want to be out there with the guys. Yeah, just frustrated.”
Nylander said that he received a text message fairly quickly after his actions, when he quickly realized what he did wasn’t a good idea.
“Yeah. Sitting there I got a text message,” he said. “I was like, ‘Oh, not a good idea. Not a good thing to do.'”
Toronto Maple Leafs Forward William Nylander Also Apologized On Social Media
Immediately after the game ended, Nylander posted a written apology on his Instagram account.
“Only love for leafs nation. sorry about my moment of frustration today! didn’t mean to upset anyone. looking forward to being back on the ice and not in the stands. love willy,” Nylander wrote on his Instagram account on Sunday evening.
When asked about the incident, Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said that Nylander made a mistake and that he’s owned up to it.
“Made a mistake. He owned up to it. You know, things happen. People make mistakes. Players make mistakes. Coaches make mistakes. It happens. He knows it’s wrong and he owned up to it,” Leafs head coach Craig Berube told reporters Monday.
Maple Leafs’ William Nylander Apologizes After Weekend Controversy