William Nylander and Matthew Knies were in a state of joyful disbelief when they learned that the Toronto Maple Leafs had won the 2026 NHL draft lottery. The moment was captured on video and shared by Nylander on his YouTube channel, offering fans a unique behind-the-scenes look at the stars' reactions.
The Draft Lottery Win
The Maple Leafs secured the first overall pick in the 2026 NHL draft on May 5, when the lottery balls fell in their favor. Despite having only an 8.5% chance of winning, the team defied the odds. The video, part of an episode detailing the start of Nylander's off-season, shows the pair at the Coca-Cola Coliseum during a playoff game between the Toronto Marlies and Laval Rocket.
Nylander and Knies' Reaction
In the video, Knies is seen checking his phone when Nylander, wearing a Blue Jays cap, exclaims, "Oh my god! We won the draft lottery. Are you kidding me?" Knies double-checks his phone and confirms, "Yeah, we did." Holding up his phone for Nylander to see, the two share a moment of excitement. Nylander exclaims, "That's crazy! That's insane!" while Knies repeatedly says, "No way!" and "That's so cool."
Nylander reminds Knies of the low probability, saying, "We had an 8.5% chance," to which Knies responds, "Wow." Nylander then shows a live video of Mats Sundin, who was representing the Leafs at the lottery reveal, having been hired as a senior executive the day before. "You get Mats there?" Nylander asks, showing the phone to the camera.
Impact on the Team
The win was a significant turnaround for the Leafs, who missed the playoffs in the 2025-26 season. Instead of picking fifth overall or potentially losing the pick to the Boston Bruins, Toronto now holds the first overall pick, setting up a franchise-altering opportunity. The first round of the draft is scheduled for June 26 in Buffalo, and the Leafs are expected to select winger Gavin McKenna with the top pick.
The video provides a candid glimpse into the emotions of Nylander and Knies, who were just as thrilled as the fan base. As the game featuring Alex Nylander with the Marlies continued, Nylander noted, "It's been hard to watch when we've been trying to figure out if the lottery was real or not."
