Protests and heavy security as Maccabi Tel Aviv faces PAOK in Greece

THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — Police conducted a large-scale security operation outside the stadium Wednesday ahead of Israeli team' Maccabi Tel Aviv's game against Greek club PAOK in the Europa League.

Two small protests took place earlier in Thessaloniki in northern Greece, calling for Israeli clubs to be expelled from European competition in response to mass casualties in the war in Gaza.

Around 120 Israeli fans traveled to Greece for the match and were held behind a police cordon before entering the 28,000-seat Toumba Stadium. Officers from a special forces unit escorted the Maccabi team bus to the venue, while bomb squad sniffer dogs inspected the site.

Earlier, protesters climbed scaffolding on a building complex that also houses the U.S. consulate and unfurled a banner reading “Genocide” in English from the side of the building.

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Pro-Palestinian protesters, most of them PAOK fans, gather ahead of a Europa League soccer match between PAOK and Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv in the port city of Thessaloniki, northern Greece, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)

Israeli fans wait to enter Toumba stadium ahead of a Europa League soccer match between PAOK and Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv in the port city of Thessaloniki, northern Greece, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)

Pro-Palestinian protesters, most of them PAOK fans, hold a banner that reads "PAOK is the child of refugees. No to displacement and genocide" as they gather ahead of a Europa League soccer match between PAOK and Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv in the port city of Thessaloniki, northern Greece, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)

A bus with the Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv arrives to Toumba stadium ahead of a Europa League soccer match against PAOK in the port city of Thessaloniki, northern Greece, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)

Riot police stand outside Toumba stadium ahead of a Europa League soccer match between PAOK and Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv in the port city of Thessaloniki, northern Greece, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)

LAS VEGAS (AP) — William Nylander, who leads the Maple Leafs in scoring, went to the locker room late in the first period of Toronto's Thursday night game against the Vegas Golden Knights with a lower-body injury.

Teammate Oliver Ekman-Larsson also left the ice in the first, but returned for the second period.

The Maple Leafs said that Nylander would not return to the game.

He entered the game with a team-leading 30 assists and 46 points. Nylander added to those totals with a goal and an assist against the Golden Knights.

His overtime goal gave the Maple Leafs a 4-3 victory at Colorado on Monday night to end the Avalanche's 17-game home winning streak.

The 11-year veteran has been an ironman for the Maple Leafs, having appeared in all 82 games each of the past three seasons and in 81 games in 2021-22. However, he had just returned to action Saturday after missing six games with a lower-body injury.

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Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, left, celebrates with right wing William Nylander after his goal in overtime of an NHL hockey game against the Colorado Avalanche Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)