"Happy day bruv love u": William Nylander drops special birthday post for brother Alex on his 27th birthday

Leafs forward William Nylander’s brother and teammate Alex Nylander turned 27 this week. On Tuesday, William Nylander shared a special birthday post on his Instagram wishing his younger brother.

Alex Nylander is about a year younger than the Maple Leafs star forward. The Nylanders also have a younger sister, Ella.

William Nylander shared a carousel of pictures featuring some sweet photos of his brother. In the caption, she wrote:

“Happy day bruv love u ❤️‍🔥”

The first picture saw the Nylander brothers in classic tuxedos, probably at an Opera. Alex can be seen holding a flute of champagne, while Nylander sipped from his glass of liquor.

The next photo showed Alex Nylander taking a selfie smiling at the camera while William was dozing off on the backseat on an aeroplane. In the last click, a shirtless Alex held their pet dog over his shoulder, probably at their home.

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William Nylander was thrilled when he learned he will be teammates with his brother

Earlier last year in November, Alex Nylander signed a one-year NHL deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs, reuniting him with his brother William. That marked the first time they got the opportunity to play together since representing Team Sweden at the 2016 World Juniors.

William Nylander was thrilled about the signing when GM Brad Treliving informed him.

“I was looking at taps for my condo because it's being renovated and I was there with my dad and Brad [Treliving] called and told me that they were signing Alex,” he said. “It was a very special moment.” [H/T Toronto Leafs Insider]

Alex had started the season with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies after signing a contract in July. He tallied eight goals and four assists in 14 AHL games, which eventually earned him his NHL opportunity with the Leafs. So far he has made five appearances with the Maple Leafs this season.

Prior to his time in the AHL, Alex had struggled to secure a regular spot with the Pittsburgh Penguins last season, until he was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets on the trade deadline. He was originally a first round pick by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2016 NHL draft.

With Alex Nylander’s Leafs debut, the Nylanders became the first brothers to play together for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 37 years. The last siblings to do so were Peter and Miroslav Ihnačák in 1987. Throughout NHL history, 47 pairs of brothers have played together, with 10 winning championships.