William Nylander's sister Ella drops 3-word exclamation after watching "big big bro" score goal with family in attendance

Modified Nov 25, 2024 13:00 GMT

Leafs forward William Nylander and his brother Alex Nylander made history on Sunday, becoming the fifth set of brothers to play together for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Their father, Michael, and sister, Ella, were in attendance at Scotiabank Arena as the Leafs secured a 3-2 comeback win over Utah HC.

William scored his 14th goal of the season on the night which turned out to be the game-winner, tying him for sixth in franchise history for career game-winning goals. Alex, newly called up from the AHL Marlies, made his Leafs debut and even joined his brother on a power-play shift with their family watching from the stands.

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Their sister Ella Nylander shared the special night with her followers through three Instagram stories. She started with a mirror selfie at home, dressed in a black jacket over a crop top, light blue jeans, and brown shades, before heading to watch the game

“Game time!! Go Leafs go!!!!”, she captioned the post.

She captured William’s game-winning goal from the stands and posted a clip of the moment with the caption:

“Let’s go babyyyyy”

Ella also shared a still from the stands showing both her brothers on the ice together, labeling William as “my big big bro” and Alex her “lil big bro.”

The Nylander brothers are now the newest entrant to the list of sibling duos to play together for the Leafs, joining names like the Cullen and Metz brothers.

William Nylander opens up on ‘crazy’ experience of sharing the ice with his brother

After the game, William Nylander reflected on the surreal experience of sharing the ice with his younger brother, Alex. In the post-game interview, he said it was what every hockey-playing siblings dream of.

“Felt pretty crazy,” William said. “Words can’t really describe it. I think this is what every hockey-playing brother pair probably wishes for as kids.” [H/T Sportsnet]

Alex Nylander echoed his brother’s sentiments. He mentioned it was an ‘amazing’ feeling and expressed how unforgettable the moment was.

“Just an amazing feeling. It’s something I’ll remember forever,” said Alex. “Nice goal he had, I had a good seat for that to see him go five-hole there. Just enjoying the whole day. It was really good to see how he prepares and how different we are, actually, when we get to the rink.”

With Alex Nylanders’ Leafs debut, the Nylanders became the 13th pair of brothers to play for the team and the first since 1987.