Detroit Red Wings
Family of Red Wings Finnie Are Football Fanatics
Finnie children all named after NFL running backs
Had they known what the future would hold, perhaps the parents of Detroit Red Wings rookie forward Emmitt Finnie might have named their son Billy or Barry.
Cheyno and Shannon Finnie named all three of their children after superstar NFL running backs.
“I think we were just looking for some different names, and we are huge NFL fans, and so that’s kind of where it all kind of started,” Shannon Finnie told reporters.
Finnie on the power play! #LGRW pic.twitter.com/ipfkCVq9r7
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) December 18, 2025
“Our daughter is named after Walter Payton, but her middle name is Sweetness, just so that we could kind of differentiate it. So people didn’t think it was maybe Peyton Manning or something like that, even though it’s spelled differently.”
The third Finnie child, a son, is named Marshall.
“Yeah, he was named after Marshall Faulk,” Shannon Finnie said. “So we kind of went with the running back theme with that.
“When you’re a teacher, you kind of rule out some names automatically after you’ve taught for a while. So we were kind of looking for some different names.”
Red Wings Finnie Embraced the Origins of His Given Name
During debates over names for the kids, there was never a chance of naming any of the children after Detroit Lions star running backs Barry Sanders or Billy Sims.
The Honolulu Blue and Silver simply weren’t on the Finnie radar at the time.
“Emmitt Smith would have been because our family is Cowboys fans,” Shannon Finnie said.
Emmitt Finnie quickly came to embrace the origins of his name as he bought into the family rooting interest.
“Dad, how good was prime Emmitt Smith?” 👟 pic.twitter.com/HyY7NQInx5
— Football’s Greatest Moments (@FBGreatMoments) December 17, 2025
“Oh, yeah, he knew that growing up,” Shannon said. “Like, he had Dallas Cowboys wallpaper in his bedroom growing up.”
The two namesakes have never met. Red Wings TV play-by-play voice Ken Daniels is venturing to set up a face-to-face meeting between Emmitt Finnie and Emmitt Smith.
All three Finnie kids are also elite hockey players. Marshall was a WHL player with the Edmonton Oil Kings and is now an alternate captain with the NCAA Niagara Purple Eagles. Payton is currently playing prep hockey at BC’s Delta Hockey Academy. Her NCAA commitment is to Minnesota State.
