Stanley Cup Babies: The Sweet Celebrity Baby Names of NHL's 2026 Final Four
- BabyMeanings.com
- 23 hours ago
- 7 min read
The 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs have come down to four teams — the Montreal Canadiens, Carolina Hurricanes, Vegas Golden Knights, and Colorado Avalanche — and behind every pass, save, and overtime goal, there's a little one waiting at home in a tiny team jersey.
Hockey families are something special. The partners support each other through grueling road trips, late-night feeds, and playoff runs that stretch deep into spring. The kids grow up rink-side, learning to lift the Stanley Cup before they can quite walk. And the names these hockey dads choose for their babies? They're a beautiful mix of vintage charm, soft-strong modern picks, and cross-cultural nods that reflect where these athletes come from — Sweden, Finland, Quebec, all across Canada and the US.
We've gathered some of our favorite celebrity baby names from the babies of NHL stars still chasing the 2026 Cup. Consider this your hockey-themed name inspiration list — perfect for expecting parents who love a little grit with their grace.
Montreal Canadiens: A hockey town welcomes a wave of babies
The Habs' surprise run to the Eastern Conference Final has captured the hockey world — and so has the team's recent baby boom. Two of Montreal's veteran forwards became first-time dads within months of each other during the 2024-25 season, and both chose names that are pure poetry.
Right winger Brendan Gallagher and his wife Emma Fortin welcomed their daughter Everly Mona Della in March 2025. The middle names honor both grandmothers, including Brendan's mom Della, who sadly passed away just days after Everly arrived.
If you've been curious about the Everly name meaning, it traces back to Old English roots — most commonly translated as "wild boar in a clearing," though you'd never guess it from how soft and lyrical the name sounds. Everly has been quietly climbing the SSA charts and now sits around the top 60 in the US. It has that effortless modern-vintage feel parents keep falling for.
Then came Josh Anderson's daughter Stella, who arrived in May 2025. The forward missed a game against Philadelphia to be there for her birth, and her name has quickly become a fan favorite among the Habs' young dads.
Name spotlight: Stella
The Stella name meaning comes straight from Latin: "star." If you're drawn to celestial girl names that mean star — Luna, Aurora, Nova — Stella is the elder statesman of the group. It carried the heroine of Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire and has been a top-100 name in the US since 2014. We love how it sounds at every age — bright and breezy on a baby, sophisticated on a grown woman.
Carolina Hurricanes: From classic captain names to modern surnames-turned-firsts
Down in Raleigh, the Hurricanes are loaded with veterans whose families have been part of the team's identity for years — and the name choices lean beautifully classic.
Captain Jordan Staal and his wife Heather are parents to Abigail, Lilah, and Henry — a beautifully timeless trio.
The Abigail name meaning is Hebrew for "my father's joy," and it was the No. 6 girls' name in the US in the early 2010s — still a top-100 staple today. Lilah is a softer, more lyrical take on the explosively popular Lila/Lily family, with Hebrew roots meaning "night." And the Henry name meaning — from the Germanic Heinrich, meaning "ruler of the home" — has been having an incredible decade, sitting comfortably in the top 10 since 2020. It's regal, friendly, and ages perfectly from playground to boardroom.
Then there's defenseman Jaccob Slavin, the two-time Lady Byng winner, and his wife Kylie. Their daughter Emersyn (known to Hurricanes fans as "Emmy") brings a fresh, modern feel — a creative spelling of the rising favorite Emerson.
The Emersyn name meaning traces back to an English surname meaning "son of Emery," but it's been one of the fastest-rising girls' names of the past decade. The "-syn" spelling adds a contemporary twist that feels distinctly modern American.
Vegas Golden Knights: The original "dad strength" team
When Vegas won the Cup in 2023, six players became first-time dads that same season. Three years later, the dad squad is still going strong — and so are the baby name choices.
Captain Mark Stone and his wife Hayley welcomed their daughter Scarlett James Stone in March 2023. The Scarlett name meaning comes from the medieval Old French escarlate, originally referring to a rich red cloth. It's one of those names that walks the line between bold and beautiful perfectly — a top-25 girls' name in the US since 2018, with a fiery vintage glamour that feels timeless. And the middle name James as a girls' name? Trendsetting and tomboy-cool.
Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo and his wife Jayne have a small army of beautifully named kiddos: Evelyn, Oliver, Theodore, and Julia Grace. This is a master class in classic baby names — every single one has been in or near the top 20 in the past few years.
Name spotlight: Theodore
If you're drawn to vintage baby names that feel current, Theodore is having its moment. The Theodore name meaning is "gift of God" in Greek — it was the name of a US president (Roosevelt) and a beloved children's book character. Theodore has jumped from No. 181 in 2010 to inside the top 15 today. The nickname options (Theo, Teddy, even Ted) make it endlessly versatile across every life stage.
Center William "Wild Bill" Karlsson and his wife Emily (yes, of Bachelor Nation fame) have two little boys: Beckham William (born during the 2023 Cup run) and Lars Maxwell, who goes by Maxwell. Beckham brings that sports-star energy — popularized worldwide by the famous soccer family — while Lars is a wonderful nod to William's Swedish roots.
If you love Scandinavian baby names that travel well in English-speaking countries, Lars is a quiet gem. The Lars name meaning is "crowned with laurel," from the Latin Laurentius. It's beloved across Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, and works beautifully on its own or as a fresh alternative to Luke or Logan.
And defenseman Brayden McNabb named his son Laken — a fresh, water-inspired choice nobody on the team had thought of, and one we suspect will start popping up on more shortlists soon.
Colorado Avalanche: Where Swedish, classic, and modern collide
Up in Denver, the 2022 Stanley Cup champs have a roster full of hockey dads whose kids' names lean European, classic, and quietly cool.
Captain Gabriel Landeskog and his wife Melissa Shouldice have two children — Linnea Rae and Luke — with a third on the way. Linnea is a stunning Swedish name (the Landeskogs are from Stockholm) that honors the country's beloved twinflower, Linnaea borealis, which was Carl Linnaeus' favorite flower.
The Linnea name meaning is essentially "lime tree" or "twinflower," and it's pronounced lih-NAY-uh in Swedish. While it's still rare in North America, it's quietly captivating for parents drawn to global-yet-pronounceable Swedish baby names. As for the Luke name meaning — it's Greek for "from Lucania," carrying biblical weight (Luke the evangelist) and modern movie magic (Luke Skywalker) at the same time.
Defenseman Devon Toews and his wife Kerry are parents to Bennett and Baylah Rose. The Bennett name meaning is "blessed" — a sophisticated English surname-turned-first-name now in the top 75. Baylah is a creative, modern reimagining of Bailey with a soft Hebrew-inspired flair.
And veteran defenseman Brent Burns, now suiting up for Colorado after three seasons in Carolina, has three kids: Peyton Gabriann, Jagger Stephen Patrick, and Olivia. The Peyton name meaning is "fighting man's estate" — a gender-flexible classic that works beautifully for any kid. Jagger brings rock-and-roll energy (yes, after Mick), and Olivia? She's been the top girls' name in the US for five years running. The Olivia name meaning — "olive tree," a symbol of peace and victory — explains everything.
Discover your style
Drawn to soft-strong vintage like Theodore and Evelyn? Love the global vibe of Linnea or Lars? Our baby name generator can help you uncover the naming style that fits your family — and surface names you might never have stumbled upon on your own.
What these hockey babies tell us about top baby names in 2026
Looking at this lineup of NHL kids, a few clear trends jump out — and they line up perfectly with what we're seeing across the SSA and Statistics Canada data for 2026.
Soft-strong is having a moment. Theodore, Henry, Bennett, Luke — these are names that sound gentle but grounded, masculine without being macho. Even the rougher-edged picks like Jagger or Beckham have a melodic quality.
Vintage baby names are unstoppable. Stella, Evelyn, Scarlett, Olivia, Abigail — what used to be grandma names are now nursery favorites, and they sound fresh every single time. If you're searching for vintage baby names with timeless appeal, this list is a beautiful blueprint.
Global influence is everywhere. Linnea (Swedish), Lars (Scandinavian), Mona (used in Della Gallagher's middle name — a beautifully cross-cultural pick), and Emersyn (modern American) — hockey is one of the most international sports, and its families' name choices reflect that. Expect to see more Scandinavian baby names trending in the US and Canada this year.
Middle names are getting more interesting. Notice how many of these babies have meaningful, multi-part middle names: Everly Mona Della, Baylah Rose, Linnea Rae, Lars Maxwell, Jagger Stephen Patrick. The middle name is no longer an afterthought — it's a chance to honor family, add a second beat, or layer in meaning.
Whether or not your team lifts the Cup
There's something lovely about watching a hockey playoff run with a baby on your lap (or in your belly). The games stretch into the night, the team becomes part of your family's rhythm, and somewhere along the way, the names of the players' kids start sounding like inspiration for your own little one.
Whether you're drawn to the classic warmth of Henry or Stella, the global cool of Linnea or Lars, or the bold beauty of Scarlett or Theodore — these are names that travel well, sound great at every age, and carry stories worth telling.
And if you're still in the early stages of your own naming adventure, take heart: every parent on this list went through the same delicious, slightly overwhelming search. The right name has a way of finding you — usually right around the time you stop trying so hard.
Discover your style: Not sure where your naming taste lands? Try our Baby Name Consultant — it answers expert-crafted questions to help you identify the naming style that fits your family. And if you and your partner can't quite agree, our Baby Name Tiebreaker was built exactly for that moment.
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