NHL Looking Into Maple Leafs' William Nylander's Obscene Gesture

Nylander was seated alongside Chris Tanev, Dakota Joshua, Calle Jarnkrok and Philippe Myers when he noticed the camera focused on the group. He smiled briefly before raising his middle finger as the broadcast quickly cut back to the ice.

The clip went viral on social media and drew immediate criticism from fans and media. Nylander moved quickly to address the situation by posting an apology on his Instagram account several hours after the game. He expressed remorse while attributing the action to his frustration watching from the sidelines.

Apology Issues on Social Media

Nylander took responsibility for his actions in an Instagram story. He included an image from the incident with his hand covered by heart symbols to blur out the gesture. The winger emphasized his love for Maple Leafs fans and acknowledged he did not mean to upset anyone with his behavior.

The 28-year-old forward expressed eagerness to return to game action rather than continuing to watch from the press box. He signed the apology with his nickname and added blue and white heart emojis representing the team colors. The incident marked an uncharacteristic lapse in judgment for a player usually known for his laid-back demeanor.

Injury Compounds Team Struggles

Nylander has been sidelined for the past five games with a groin injury he re-aggravated during a 6-5 overtime loss to Vegas on January 15. The original injury occurred against Ottawa on December 27 and forced him to miss six consecutive contests before he briefly returned.

He skated for 20 minutes last weekend in his first on-ice session since re-injuring himself. Despite missing 11 games this season, Nylander leads the Maple Leafs with 48 points, including 17 goals and 31 assists in just 37 appearances. His absence has coincided with Toronto going 1-4 over the last five games.

The team has lost four straight at home and collected just one point during that stretch. The Maple Leafs sit at 24-19-9 for 57 points and remain five points out of the Eastern Conference's final wild card spot currently held by Boston.

Toronto faces Buffalo before embarking on a six-game road trip. The NHL has not announced a timeline for its decision regarding potential discipline for Nylander, but a ruling is expected before his return to game action.