William Karlsson and Emily Ferguson (via Getty Images) In a world where most love affairs start with swipes and likes, Swedish forward and alternate captain for the Vegas Golden Knights William Karlsson and his girlfriend Emily Ferguson are the living proof that sometimes, a basic Instagram DM can alter your life forever. The couple have created a life for themselves that mixes red carpet glamour with rink-side toughness, and it all began in the most contemporary of fashions—on the internet.
From DM to “I Do”: A modeday romance
Emily Ferguson rolled the dice in November 2017. William Karlsson had recently gotten its first-ever NHL team, and while Emily Ferguson was clueless about hockey, she knew William Karlsson had something special. So she took a shot. The two had drinks together—and that was it. Chemistry. After that, they were inseparable and their chemistry soon became public. From Vegas Golden Knights victories (and defeats) to Halloween costumes as pop icons—Harley Quinn and the Joker, Thor and Loki, even Bret Michaels and his groupie—Emily and William’s love was always fun and passionately devoted.
A Cinderella wedding and a new chapter
By the end of 2020, the pair made it official with a proposal on a hike. They celebrated the love with a fairy tale wedding in July of 2022, attended by 175 guests and lots of glitter. Only months after getting married, the pair revealed that they were having their first baby. Baby Beckham was born in May 2023—and within a month, he was in his father’s arms as Karlsson won the Stanley Cup for the first time in his life. It was a sports high point from a professional standpoint. From a family perspective? Magic. In June 2024, Emily announced the family was expanding once again—this time with a second baby boy. “Beckham is going to be the BEST Big Brother???,” she swooned on Instagram alongside sonogram photos. Baby Lars Maxwell Karlsson arrived that November.Their romance is drenched in Vegas style—glamorous, frenetic, a bit surprising, and crazily passionate. Emily, the peppy, sparkly Bachelor veteran, and William, the stoic, calm Swedish hockey sensation, somehow managed to make something both grand and intimate. Whether it’s spending quiet picnic afternoons with their pup Obi or taking their sons on the ice after a championship victory, the Karlssons are making family the best team in town. From social media flirtation to wedding altar—and now two baby boys after—William Karlsson and Emily Ferguson are gliding through life, hand-in-hand, with the type of love tale that might only happen in the city of lights, love, and late-night Elvis impersonators.Also read: Emily Ferguson the wife of Karlsson, balances motherhood and media spotlightLove, laughter, and the long game—William and Emily’s romance is proof that the true fairy tale isn’t really winning the Stanley Cup. It’s developing a life together after the final buzzer.