Over a decade ago, Michael Nylander was playing for the Washington Capitals and took it upon himself to invite 19-year-old rookie Nicklas Bäckström to his home in Washington DC. It was then that a strong friendship began forming between Bäckström and Nylander’s oldest son, 11-year-old William. Now, the two have gone from playing ping pong in the Nylander family home to facing off against each other on the ice.