william nylander ttc

Maple Leafs' William Nylander shouts out the TTC as the best way to beat Toronto traffic

Toronto Maple Leafs star William Nylander is becoming something of an unofficial TTC spokesperson, shouting out the transit agency for the second time in the past few months.

The 27-year-old Swedish phenom professed his love for the TTC back in November, saying he rides the subway to almost every home game, and Nylander doubled down on his love of public transit on Thursday evening at an event kicking off the 2024 NHL All-Star festivities in Toronto.

blogTO asked the Leafs right-winger if he's still riding the rocket to games, and Nylander explained that traffic is a major factor determining whether or not he takes public transit to and from Scotiabank Arena.

"If traffic is bad, I'm jumping on the TTC. Maybe I'll get Mitch [Marner] on that one day," Nylander told blogTO.

Leafs forward Mitch Marner admitted he's less likely to be caught riding the rocket, telling blogTO "[the subway is] a little further from my house, yeah I wouldn't. I'd have to go down to Willie's first, but, we'll see."

All smiles, Nylander joked that Marner could always get a pre-game nap in on the train.

Marner is better known for travelling by car, even in light of a high-profile event that would scare many drivers off the road. The Markham-born star was the victim of a 2022 carjacking, where he was robbed of his luxury SUV at gunpoint outside of a Toronto movie theatre.

That being said, the TTC has also seen its fair share of crime in recent years, though clearly not enough to deter Nylander — who inked an eight-year contract extension worth $92 million in January — from catching some shut-eye on the subway.

The TTC's Stuart Green tells blogTO that "Many people see the TTC as a Toronto icon, and it's great to know high-profile personalities like Nylander and Drake see it that way too."

Green explains that "having endorsements from influencers is both great for our brand and fun for our customers and staff, and hopes that this celebrity support "will encourage more people to get back on the TTC."

"Now, if only we could figure out a way to get Taylor Swift on board during her upcoming Toronto residency," joked Green.

Lead photo by

blogTO


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