| Alexander Nylander | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 2 March 1998 Calgary, Alberta, Canada |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight | 192 lb (87 kg; 13 st 10 lb) |
| Position | Right Wing |
| Shoots | Right |
| NHL team Former teams |
Chicago Blackhawks Buffalo Sabres |
| NHL Draft | 8th overall, 2016 Buffalo Sabres |
| Playing career | 2015–present |
Alexander Nylander (born Alexander Maximiliam Michael Junior Nylander Altelius on born March 2, 1998) is a Canadian-born Swedish ice hockey player who currently plays for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL).
He was selected 8th overall by the Sabres in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.
He is the son of former NHL forward Michael Nylander and the younger brother of William Nylander (who plays in the NHL for the Toronto Maple Leafs).
Playing Career[]
Major Junior Playing Career[]
Alexander was selected 12th overall by the Mississauga Steelheads of the Ontario Hockey League at the 2015 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft.
On September 5, 2015, he committed to Steelheads with his father joining as assistant coach. Alexander's reasons for joining include being close to his brother William and to have the chance to play the Canadian style of hockey.
In his only season with the Steelheads, Alexander led all rookies in scoring, and was awarded both the Emms Family Award as OHL Rookie of the Year and CHL Rookie of the Year.
Leading up to the NHL draft, he was ranked the No. 3 North American skater & was described as a dynamic offensive player with a great shot and playmaking ability.
Professional Playing Career[]
Alexander was selected 8th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. On July 15, 2016, the Sabres signed him to a three-year entry-level contract.
On April 3, 2017, Alexander was called up to the NHL for the first as he played for 14:28 in a 4-2 loss against the Toronto Maple Leafs. After playing in four games, he was re-assigned back to their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans.
The Sabres assigned Nylander to their AHL affiliate before finalizing their roster for the 2017–18 season; however, he suffered a lower-body injury in mid-September during the Buffalo Sabres' first prospect game, causing him to miss the rest of the training camp and the beginning of the 2017–18 AHL season.
He returned to the lineup on 17 November 2017, for a game against the Hartford Wolf Pack.
Despite a slow start, Alexander was called up to the NHL on April 3, 2018. He recorded his first career NHL goal on April 6, 2018 in a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
After the Sabres failed to qualify for the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs, he was reassigned to the AHL.
On July 9, 2019, Alexander was traded by the Sabres to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for fellow first-rounder Henri Jokiharju.
Career Statistics[]
Regular season and playoffs[]
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2014–15 | AIK | J20 | 42 | 15 | 25 | 40 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2014–15 | AIK | Allsv | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2015–16 | Mississauga Steelheads | OHL | 57 | 28 | 47 | 75 | 18 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 2 | ||
| 2016–17 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 65 | 10 | 18 | 28 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2016–17 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 51 | 8 | 19 | 27 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2017–18 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 49 | 12 | 19 | 31 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 12 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 65 | 10 | 16 | 26 | 10 | |||||||
| NHL totals | 84 | 13 | 19 | 32 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
International[]
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Sweden | U17 | Template:Brca | 6 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2015 | Sweden | IH18 | Template:Sica | 5 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | |
| 2016 | Sweden | WJC18 | Template:Sica | 7 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2016 | Sweden | WJC | 4th | 7 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2017 | Sweden | WJC | 4th | 7 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 0 | |
| 2018 | Sweden | WJC | Template:Sica | 7 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 2 | |
| Junior totals | 32 | 14 | 27 | 41 | 8 | ||||
International Play[]
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Competitor for Template:Ihj | ||
| Men's ice hockey | ||
| IIHF World U18 Championship | ||
| Silver | 2016 United States | |
At the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championships held in Helsinki, Alexander led the Swedish team in points with four goals and five assists.
Team Sweden finished fourth at the tournament.
Personal Life[]
Alexander was born in Calgary while his father, Michael played for the Calgary Flames He spent the majority of his youth in the United States where Michael played for a multitude of NHL teams and spent the summers in Sweden.
He has an older sister, Michelle (born in 1994) and three younger sisters: Jacquline (born 2000), Stephanie (born 2003) and Daniella (born 2006).