For Strome & Several Capitals Teammates, Being A 'Girl Dad' Is The Ultimate Accomplishment

ARLINGTON, V.A. — Gearing up for a Washington Capitals practice one afternoon, 6-foot-5 enforcer Dylan McIlrath went to put on his gloves and was surprised to see that his nails were still painted bright pink from the day before.

It's just part of being a "girl dad," and so McIlrath smiled at the sight of his nails, putting his gloves on and proudly showing off the paint job to his teammates after the skate.

"Having a daughter really changed my life, it's so fun to be a girl dad, dressing up in princess galore and painting my nails and wearing tiaras just to make her happy, it's just been a blast," McIlrath said. "Just to see her light up, it's fun."

McIlrath is one of several girl dads on the Capitals roster, joining Dylan Strome, Aliaksei Protas, Lars Eller, Nicklas Backstrom, T.J. Oshie, John Carlson and Nic Dowd. The Capitals have had their fair share of accomplishments and milestones on the ice, there's none that tops being a parent to their daughters.

"It's the best thing ever," Strome, who has two daughters, Weslie and Emerson, said. "Obivously, growing up with two brothers and not having many girls around the house growing up, it's a totally different lifestyle, totally different world. Once you become a girl dad, you just have that special connection with them and that bond. It just makes my heart happy to see them smiling all the time."

The 28-year-old has gotten to share numerous memories with his daughters, from skating to jumping on the trampoline to singing along to "Frozen" with them. They've played a fundamental part in his career thus far, too, cheering him on at each game and being part of his warmup routine, as he'll make sure to stop by the glass to see his kids before taking the ice.

"They're always looking for their dad. They love their mom too, don't get me wrong, but dad's more playful," he laughed. "We're just always having fun and always trying to keep it light and make them smile and kill some time."

With his daughters getting older and starting to understand the arc of his career, Strome and his wife, Tayler, crafted a picture book called "Daddy Goes To Work" to explain what he does for a living and why he's gone for periods of time. It's inspired other parents around the league to follow suit, as well.

In addition to building special bonds, being a girl dad also comes with different lessons learned. For Dowd, welcoming his daughter, Ruby, shifted his life and perspective after he and his wife, Paige, had their son, Louie back in 2019.

"It's emotional. When we found out we had Ruby and we found out she was a girl, it's a totally different feeling," Dowd said. "I said it before... something that stuck with me is that Ruby will be my last true love, and I'll be her first. I hope we can continue to grow as close as we feel right now for the rest of our lives."

Protas agreed, remembering Valentine's Day in 2023 when he was a late scratch for a showdown against the Carolina Hurricanes and was sprinting through the corridors of Capital One Arena to get to his car and to the hospital as quickly as possible for the birth of his daughter, Alicia.

"It's just unbelievable," he smiled. "Just to see her after a trip or after a bad day, nothing's better than that. Your bad day's like, nothing, basically, when you see each other."

Come May, the "girl dad" group will expand in the room, as goaltender Charlie Lindgren and his wife, Mikkayla, are preparing to welcome a daughter. For Lindgren, who grew up in a house of boys like Strome, he's excited for fatherhood, and he's doing what he can to learn from his teammates and be the best dad he can.

"I'm super pumped... it's going to be a lot to learn," Lindgren smiled. "I started reading books, talking to my wife, but I just can't wait to bring a little girl into the world and hopefully be a really good dad to her. I know I will be."

At the end of the day for the Capitals, it's all about support, and being the best dads they can in any way possible.

"I can't wait to just support her and just want her to have a dream of a life and chase her dreams," Lindgren said.