Elias Pettersson makes feelings known on playing alongside $92,000,000 Maple Leafs star for Sweden at 4 Nations - Image Source: Imagn

Elias Pettersson makes feelings known on playing alongside $92,000,000 Maple Leafs star for Sweden at 4 Nations Face-Off

Modified Feb 15, 2025 11:40 GMT

Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson shared his thoughts on playing alongside Maple Leafs star William Nylander for Sweden in the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament.

Sweden had a competitive game against hosts Canada in the tournament opener on Wednesday. After falling behind 3-1, the Swedes fought back to tie the game in regulation, but Mitch Marner's overtime winner at 6:06 snatched victory away from them.

Expand Tweet

Overall, the game showcased good resilience and fighting spirit from the Swedish players. Now they are gearing up to face their Scandinavian neighbors, Finland. Ahead of the anticipated Scandinavian clash, Elias Pettersson shared his thoughts about playing alongside William Nylander:

"It's great. He's a fantastic player. It's nice to get to know him a little bit more, and not always be opponents," said Pettersson.

Pettersson added by praising Nylander's skills as a player and also his personality in a team environment.

"He always carries himself with confidence, which he should. Off the ice, he is just a good genuine guy and fun to be around."

Expand Tweet

Elias Pettersson and William Nylander, who's signed to an eight-year, $92 million deal with the Maple Leafs, will look to open their tally in the tournament against Finland on Saturday. The puck drops at Bell Centre Arena at 1 p.m. ET.

Elias Pettersson on OT defeat to Canada

Elias Pettersson reflected on the overtime defeat to Canada, acknowledging the team's resilience despite a challenging start.

He was impressed by how his team battled back, saying that they put up a strong fight and could have potentially won in overtime.

"Good resilience, worst start imaginable, but I think we battled back. Gave them a good game," Pettersson told the media. "I think we could have won it too in overtime, but yeah, (that's) how it goes.

"Yeah, we were talking about it like, keep going, keeping in place. It's going to come. And it did (in third). So yeah, it's good," he added.

Pettersson has been struggling to find his form lately with the Canucks in the NHL. The three-time 30-goal scorer has managed only 11 goals and 34 points this season.

The 4 Nations Face-Off tournament presents a great opportunity for the Swede to regain his confidence and spark his scoring ability.