William Nylander Clinches Guldpucken — Sweden’s Top Hockey Honour at Long Last

Nylander continued to ascend for the Maple Leafs in 2024-25 by posting a new career high in goals with 45 despite his assists causing his overall point total to drop from 96 in 2023-24 to 84 in 2024-25. He also led the Maple Leafs in playoff scoring with six goals and 15 points in 13 games.

The award was introduced in 1956, and up until 2014-15, it was reserved for the top Swedish player in their native ice hockey system. Since then, it’s been expanded to include players of Swedish nationality who are playing in the NHL. Tampa Bay Lightning defenceman Victor Hedman was the first to claim it following the expansion of eligibility. Florida Panthers defenceman Gustav Forsling took home the award in 2023-24, and Pittsburgh Penguins defenceman Erik Karlsson has the most of any NHL player, collecting it three times in 2015-16, 2016-17, and 2022-23.

Nylander signed an eight-year extension worth $11.5 million annually to stay with the Maple Leafs back in January 2024, and his production in the first season post-extension has inspired confidence among the fanbase. Especially with the recent drama involving Mitch Marner and his messy exit from the organization, Nylander was able to win over a portion of fans who had previously written him off after he went through his own messy negotiation process back in 2018-19. Since then, he’s continued to steadily improve every season, and ultimately, signing the dotted line to stay in Toronto for presumably his entire career has struck a positive chord with fans, who in 2025, value players who want to be there and contribute more than skill.

With Marner’s departure, Nylander will enter 2025-26 with a grander opportunity than ever, and as somebody who loves the limelight, will surely be looking to put an even bigger mark on the franchise that’s down a star player.