![Feb 12, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team Sweden forward William Nylander (88) plays the puck against Team Canada in overtime during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images](https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/17f93ae4-bfd2-499f-a3ff-d7d4da72910f.jpeg)
Feb 12, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team Sweden forward William Nylander (88) plays the puck against Team Canada in overtime during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
Less than 24 hours after Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander said he was "thinking about" joining Team Sweden at the 2025 IIHF World Championships, he officially joins his home country for the tournament.
The 29-year-old has been added to Sweden's roster one day before their quarter-final matchup against Czechia. The game will be held at Avicii Arena, in Johanneshov, Sweden on Thursday at 2:20 p.m. ET.
This will be Nylander's fourth time representing Sweden at the Worlds. He's led the tournament in points twice (2017, 2019), with Sweden capturing a gold medal in 2017 and winning tournament MVP honors. In 21 games at the tournament with his country, Nylander has 15 goals and 22 assists for 37 points in that span.
During the 2019 Worlds, Sweden was eliminated by Finland in the quarter-finals. Three years later, Sweden was ousted again in the quarter-finals, this time by Canada.
Nylander most recently represented Sweden at the 4 Nations Face-Off, scoring two assists in three games. The forward was an assistant captain on the team.
The Maple Leafs were eliminated in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs following a 6-1 loss to the Florida Panthers on Sunday. Although he's been a strong playoff performer in previous seasons, Nylander was critical of his Game 7 performance in the second-round series with Florida.
'"Just a shitty game. That's about it," Nylander said.
