We’re not far removed from one of the darkest hours in recent Toronto Maple Leafs’ history and though the team is turning a new page this season, a verbal argument between two of the team’s core players has come to light again.
William Nylander is one of the focuses of Amazon’s new docuseries FACEOFF: Inside the NHL, which reveals unparalleled access to the 28-year-old Maple Leafs’ star winger. The full series is out on Amazon Prime on Friday and it’s certainly worth a watch. The documentary crew caught Nylander’s verbal confrontation with Mitch Marner, which was found by video sleuths and amateur lip readers across North America, as the Maple Leafs lost 3-1 to the Boston Bruins in Game 4, ultimately losing the series in seven games.
Frustration has started to set in for the Maple Leafs stars 😠 pic.twitter.com/PbnQBNigKD
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 28, 2024
“Just f—ing shoot it,” Nylander exclaims on the bench. “Stop f—ing’ cryin’, bro. This is the f—ing issue. You guys b— about s—t Let’s f— go!”
It’s the ‘stop crying, bro’ comment that captured the attention of the NHL world during last spring’s playoffs, although there’s no mention of Nylander telling Marner that this isn’t junior hockey anymore. It’s a quick conservation on the bench and doesn’t linger in the air like many had come to expect.
“We’re grown men. We’re just talking about plays out there that we all want to make sure we’re 100 percent in. Just a little off page there. We’re not yelling at each other before we hate each other,” Marner explained after Game 4 via David Alter of The Hockey News.
Nylander also addresses the migraines he suffered during the playoffs, which kept him out of the first three games of the series. Toronto’s star winger played in all 82 regular season games, so it was a shock to most when he was held out of the lineup with a previously undisclosed ailment, before it was revealed to reporters that he was fighting through migraines.
“It was tough. But also, knowing how I was feeling, I wouldn’t have been of any help,” Nylander said.
This documentary series will be must-watch television for any hockey fans, with player-centric series focusing on Nylander and Bruins star David Pastrnak for the first episode, before moving onto Filip Forsberg and Jack Eichel for episode two, while the final two episodes are largely centred around Connor McDavid’s pursuit of an elusive first Stanley Cup.
This first episode will especially be interesting for Maple Leafs fans. Without giving too much away, Nylander is seen at various Toronto spots, including a restaurant he’s been known to promote over his tenure with the Maple Leafs. Nylander goes to dinner with Pastrnak and their friendship is touched on, prior to the playoffs.
Nylander is asked at the outset of the first episode if he thrives under pressure and he simply responds: “I try to!” There’s always pressure as one of the feature stars of the Maple Leafs and this episode provides a nearly unparalleled view into Nylander’s world.
