LAS VEGAS --William Karlsson cradled his baby son, Beckham William, in his arms as he and the rest of the Vegas Golden Knights celebrated winning the Stanley Cup at T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday.
"It's a pretty good feeling," Karlsson said after the Golden Knights defeated the Florida Panthers 9-3 in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final to win the first NHL championship in Vegas' six-season history.
"Hopefully we can get some cool pictures with the Cup and put him in there. We'll see what we can do."
Celebrating the Cup was a family affair for many of the Golden Knights, especially those who had children over the past year or so. That includes Karlsson, whose wife, Emily, gave birth to their son May 12.
Forward Chandler Stephenson and his fiancée, Tasha, welcomed baby boy Ford Tomis on May 22, 2022. Defenseman Brayden McNabb's wife, Lelanie, gave birth to a son when the Golden Knights were playing the Winnipeg Jets in the Western Conference First Round.
Forward Mark Stone and wife Hayley welcomed their daughter, Scarlett, on March 20.
"Yeah, I mean, it changed my life for the best, right? The best day of my life," said Stone, his wife and baby nearby.
"Changed my outlook on, not only life but hockey. After a tough loss, you go home and get to see her, it's an unbelievable feeling. Love at first sight when you see her, so it's crazy."
Forward Brett Howden and wife Meike had their son, Charlie, on April 13.
As on-ice postgame celebrations continued, some of the new parents made their way over to the Cup for photos. Karlsson put his son in the Cup while Howden held his son just above it in an early photo.
The Cup was originally taken off the ice before Stephenson could put his son in it but Stone, the Golden Knights' captain, brought it back for picture purposes.
Stephenson won the Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals in 2018, when they defeated the Golden Knights in five games. He's gone through some great life changes since.
Mark Stone started down the tunnel before he realized Chandler Stephenson hadn’t put his baby in the #StanleyCup yet… so he came back 🥺
"I've got a 1-year-old boy," Stephenson said. "I'm getting married this summer. So, yeah, there's a lot that happened since then. It's been kind of crazy that it's only been five years removed from that. Time flies, especially when you have a little one. It kind of puts in perspective how quick it goes."
Winning was a tremendous experience for the Golden Knights. Having family there, including newborns, made for an even more memorable night.
"It's so special," said a teary-eyed Howden. His wife was standing nearby with Charlie, who was wearing headphones amid the noise following the Game 5 win.
"He's not going to remember this, but he's going to see a lot of pictures of him sitting in the Cup, so it's pretty special."
NHL.com staff writer Tom Gulitti contributed to this report
