In just a few hours, 223 young players will hear their names called at the 2026 NHL Draft. It will be the biggest day of their hockey careers, and the first step to realizing their dream of playing in the best league in the world. No matter where each player is selected, from 1st to 224th, for a brief moment, each player has the untapped potential to be the one who will change the franchise.
In that moment, the one thing that separates every prospect is how good it will sound to hear their name called after a goal, a hit, or a save, and some names are just better to hear or say than others.
There have been some classic names over the years: Radek Bonk, Tony Twist, Garth Butcher, Zarley Zalapski, Daren Puppa, Hnat Domenichelli, Carlo Colaiacovo, and dozens more. Identifying a name isn’t always easy; you just know it when you see it. “It’s not one single, solitary characteristic or nationality that makes great hockey names,” wrote Bill Schoeninger in 2015. “It’s one of those things where it either sounds like a hockey name, or it doesn’t.”
So, after combing through roughly 400 names eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft, I’ve whittled my list down to 10, with a few honourable mentions thrown in for good measure. None of these nominations were meant to ridicule or make fun, but to highlight some of the most creative and interesting names that are showcased in one of the biggest events of the hockey calendar. The only rule I followed was that there had to be a reasonable chance they would be selected this year. Without further ado, here are the 10 best names from the 2026 NHL Draft class.
10. Onni Keltikangas
Finnish names have always been a favourite of mine, and this year, one of the best Finnish names is Onni Keltikangas. A 6-foot-5 forward playing in Finland’s U20 SM-sarja league, he put up a solid 11 goals and 26 points in 40 games this season, which earned him a two-game call-up to KeuPa HT in the Mestis, Finland’s second-tier pro league. He doesn’t have a lot of international experience, but he made it to 139th among international skaters on Central Scouting’s final list, and with his size, a team could take him late in the draft. Imagine how good that name would look on the back of an NHL jersey.
Are three names better than two? The Scandinavians sure seem to think so. Over the past few years, several high-profile prospects have had three names on their draft day, and many of them are just so nice to say. There’s not a single hockey fan who doesn’t say all of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s name whenever they’re talking about him. Even Luukkonen enjoys saying it.
The 2026 class features several strong candidates, including Niklas Aaram-Olsen, Casper Juustovaara Karlsson, Oliver Dejbjerg Larsen, and Jonas Lagerberg Hoen, but Axel Brøngel-Larsson stands out above the rest for how easily it flows off the tongue. The Ø is a nice touch, too, as the sound doesn’t really exist in English (it’s close to an ‘eh’ sound said through a rounded mouth). Brøngel-Larsson’s draft chances are pretty good, too. Ranked 59th among international skaters, the 6-foot-1 defenceman was projected as a top-100 pick by Elite Prospects after a solid season in Sweden’s U20 league, and is set to join the Youngstown Phantoms in the United States Hockey League (USHL) next season.
8. Tobias Tvrznik
There’s a pride in finally figuring out how to pronounce a challenging name, and it doesn’t get harder for English speakers when there is a significant lack of vowels. This year, Czech goalie Tobias Tvrznik, pronounced tuh-VERZ-nik, is sure to stump a few fans when he’s selected, which should be pretty early. An impressive season with the Wenatchee Wild, where he recorded a .913 save percentage (SV%) over 39 starts despite putting up a losing record, earned him Central Scouting’s eighth-best North American goalie, and most rankings have him going before the fifth round.
Honourable mentions go to Domán Kristóf Szongoth (zahn-gawt), David Zmrhal (zih-mer-hall), and Luka Radivojavic (rad-ih-voy-a-vich).
7. Cruz Pavao
For some reason, the Western Hockey League (WHL) is a goldmine for unique hockey names that stick in your mind. Daxon Rudolph, J.P. Hurlbert, Tyus Sparks, and Brek Liske are sure to become fan favourites in the coming years, but one name that has flown under the radar has been Cruz Pavao. Cruz is already a fairly unique name, but it flows neatly into his surname, making it one of the best to hear over an arena speaker. Hailing from Calgary, Alberta, his name embodies speed and tenacity, which he was more than happy to show off with the Tri-City Americans this season. His 21 goals and 43 points finished fourth on the team, while his 37 penalty minutes were seventh, earning him the 165th spot on Central Scouting’s list.
Honourable mention to 6-foot-5 goalie and Minnesota native Cash Cruitt, who may not be from Western Canada, but has a very WHL name. He would fit right backstopping the Red Deer Rebels or roping at the Calgary Stampede. Rebels forward Kalder Varga also deserves a mention for his fantastic hockey name.
6. Hunter Aura
I love it when a first name and last name work together to create a perfect combination, and I would argue that there is no better combination in the 2026 NHL Draft than Hunter Aura. Already, the last name Aura is excellent, especially for a defenceman, but an aura hunter? That’s just too cool. Easily one of my favourite names from the WHL this season, and he’s got some skill, too. As a rookie last season with the Calgary Hitmen, he regularly played with Carter Yakemchuk, and this season, he was named the team’s assistant captain before putting up 40 points in 64 games.
Aura is a long shot to be selected this year. Central Scouting listed him all the way down at 222nd among North American skaters, largely because of his 5-foot-11 stature. But a recent rule change now allows NHL teams to retain rights on major junior players for four years instead of two, which should see more WHLers drafted late in the draft. He’s got speed and intelligence to anchor a bottom pair in the NHL, and if he makes it, imagine how cool a jersey with AURA on the back would be.
A very close second place to Prince Albert Raiders’ backup goalie Steele Bass, who would have earned a top-10 spot if he had been ranked by Central Scouting. He still might get drafted, though, as he performed excellently behind Michal Orsulak, despite limited minutes.
5. Patriks Plumins
Latvia is another hotbed of fantastic names, and this year, it’s hard not to fall in love with Patriks Plumins. Firstly, he’s a fantastic goalie. He was a major reason that Latvia upset the United States at the U18 World Junior Championship in April, stopping 43 of 45 shots, and earning the tournament’s top goalie award. He also led the Latvian league with a .927 SV% despite being one of the youngest. That has already made him one of the most intriguing goalies up for the 2026 Draft. Add in an alliterative name with a great flow and a showy sound, and you have a perfect recipe for one of the best names in the draft.
An honourable mention goes to Rudolfs Berzkalns, another Latvian with a great-sounding name and a chance to go in the first half of the draft.
4. Romain L’Italien
Individually, Romain L’Italien’s names aren’t that special. The name Romain has appeared several times in hockey history, in some form, such as with Roman Josi and Roman Cervenka. In 2024, Eliot L’Italien (French for Italian) was ranked 124th by Central Scouting, although he wasn’t drafted. But together, you have someone who is literally named Roman the Italian, which feels like a name that would show up in an Asterix and Obelix comic.
L’Italien has a decent shot at being drafted, too. Ranked 135th among North American skaters, he’s a strong defensive forward who had a decent offensive season with the Cape Breton Eagles in the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), putting up 17 goals and 47 points in 52 games.
There’s another literary connection with L’Italien in William Shakespeare’s play, Julius Caesar, with the lines, “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears,” spoken by Marc Antony. One could translate the first part to “Friends, Romans, Italians.” Suddenly, Marc Antony isn’t addressing a cohort of conspirators; he’s just talking to his buddies and a hockey player from Quebec.
Honourable mention to Ben MacBeath (pronounced MacBeth), who also brings some Shakespeare to the hockey world.
3. Simas Ignatavicius
While you might be able to impress people by pronouncing Tvrznik, it’s even more impressive if you can get through a huge name without skipping a beat. The San Jose Sharks already have two of the longest in Shakir Mukhamadullin and Ilyas Magomedsultanov, so maybe they’ll target Simas Ignatavicius, the American-born Lithuanian who could be a late first-round pick this year. He was excellent in Switzerland’s National League, playing a solid two-way game while scoring seven goals and 13 points. His name also gets bonus points for sounding a little intimidating, as it’s pronounced Ig-nat-a-VISH-us.
Russia deserves an honourable mention, as it’s always a good bet for some complex syllables. Some of my favourites are Alan Shaikhlislamov, Alexander Sapozhnikov, and Ilya Dolgopolov. I’ll let you figure out how to say those on your own.
2. Alexander Command
Alexander Command arguably has the best name among all projected first-round picks for just how well everything works together. As one of the top centres available in the draft, he’s made a name for himself for his no-nonsense, two-way game. He works hard on the forecheck and backcheck while battling tirelessly for his teammates. He makes his line better with his strong vision and awareness, which has led to a U18 gold medal, a World Junior A All-Star Team nomination, and the most points by a U18 player in Sweden’s U20 Nationell league. That’s a commander if I’ve ever seen one.
Command pronounces his name slightly differently than the English word, with the final ‘a’ making more of an ‘aw’ sound, but it still looks amazing on the back of a jersey and is a perfect combination of a great-sounding name that’s amazing to hear from the announcer.
1. Dayton Kitchener
Dayton Kitchener, a 6-foot-3 goalie with the Rimouski Oceanic in the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), finished his rookie season with a .869 SV% and a 7-17-3 record, which included a 10-game winless streak to finish the year. He was initially ranked 18th by Central Scouting in the midterm rankings and has shown good technical foundations in his playstyle, but was left off the final list, meaning he has a low chance of getting drafted, thus breaking my one rule I set out with at the beginning.
So how could Kitchener have the best name in the 2026 Draft? Could there be a correlation between the fact that the player with the best name in the 2026 NHL Draft shares his name with this article’s author?
Yes. 100%. But hear me out.
Have you ever gone to a tourist gift shop and seen your name on a tiny license plate? Have you ever seen a mall kiosk selling Christmas ornaments with your name displayed on them? Or ever cheered for a hockey player who shared your name?
I have not. I know there aren’t any nameplates with Dayton on them. I’ve looked for years. If I don’t spell my name to the Starbucks barista, there’s a 50% chance they just write ‘Nathan.’ I’ve been called Dalton, Dustin, and even Dreydon. The closest NHL player to my name was Mike Danton, which isn’t actually his name, and not a player you want to be associated with. Having the name ‘Dayton’ can be a bit lonely, sometimes.
But this year, there’s a player up for the 2026 Draft with my name. He might even be the first Dayton ever ranked by Central Scouting. And, if the stars align, he might be the first Dayton drafted to an NHL team. Historically speaking, that might be the coolest name ever. Add in a last name that’s also a city, and you have the best name in the 2026 NHL Draft.
Did I miss any of your favourites? Put them down in the comments!
Free Newsletter
Get NHL Entry Draft coverage delivered to your inbox
In-depth analysis, breaking news, and insider takes – free.