Ryan Reaves jokes about Simon Benoit's obsession with nut-related names as suggestions fly in for newborn baby girl's name

Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Simon Benoit and his partner Alice welcomed their first child, a baby girl.

Following the joyous news, Benoit's teammate Ryan Reaves playfully commented on Benoit's penchant for names related to nuts as suggestions for the newborn's name began to roll in.

When asked about unique name ideas, Benoit chuckled and indicated that those would remain private. However, Reaves chimed in with his humorous choices and suggested names like Cashew, as Benoit refers to his wife as Peanut.

Another name Reaves suggested sounded like Hazel, which could lead to the name Hazlenut.

"I suggested Cashew because he calls his girlfriend Peanut. There was another one up there; it's pronounced Aisel. It kinda sounds like Hazel, so he can do Hazelnut, I guess. I don't know, maybe there's something about the nut family in that (Benoit's) family," Reaves said.

Amid all the laughter and jokes, Simon Benoit is embracing his new role as a father. He shared that he feels a surge of energy, often referred to as "dad strength," following the birth of his daughter.

Benoit mentioned that the transition is gradual but enjoyable as the couple take their time adjusting to parenthood. The Leafs defenseman expressed gratitude that Alice is supportive, allowing him to rest at night and focus on preparing for his games.

"It's coming slowly (laughs). It's fun. Right now, we're taking our time with this and my girlfriend is good with it, so she lets me sleep at night and prepare for the games," Benoit said.

---

Simon Benoit's teammate Morgan Rielly announce birth of baby boy

Benoit's teammate. Morgan Rielly also became a dad, as he and his wife, Tessa Virtue, welcomed a baby boy, McCormick.

Rielly joked about Benoit's struggles with naming his baby, saying it seemed easier than what he's going through. He mentioned that they are in different stages of parenthood, which has led to some laughs between them.

"It was easier than whatever he's going through," Rielly said of Benoit's naming dilemma (via THN).

"We're at different stages, so I've been kind of laughing at him, and he's been laughing at me. But other than that, no, we're just happy to be back together and just enjoying training camp.

Simon Benoit and the Toronto Maple Leafs return to action against the Detroit Red Wings in preseason on Thursday.