The NHL team in Utah is currently in the final stages of selecting a new name, with six options remaining. Smith Entertainment Group recently announced that the potential names have been narrowed down to Blizzard, Mammoth, Outlaws, Venom, Yeti, and Utah Hockey Club (Utah HC). These choices emerged from an initial list of 20 possibilities, with a total of 520,000 votes cast by fans.
Interested parties have until June 20 to participate in the second round of voting to determine the team's official name. Owner Ryan Smith has expressed his intention for the team's jerseys to prominently feature 'Utah' during the inaugural season. The team's branding is expected to incorporate elements of the state's identity, as per Smith's vision.
Smith's group, which also owns the NBA's Utah Jazz, acquired the franchise previously known as the Arizona Coyotes for $1.2 billion and relocated it to Salt Lake City. The decision to not retain the Coyotes name was influenced by former owner Alex Meruelo's rights to the logo, with the potential to revive the brand if a suitable arena is constructed in the Phoenix area.
SEG has filed trademark applications for eight logo/wordmark designs featuring the state name and Utah Hockey Club in light blue and black. These filings may serve as placeholders until branding agency Doubleday & Cartwright finalizes a long-term branding strategy, including a logo and color scheme set to debut in the 2025-26 season.
For more NHL news, visit the official AP NHL page: AP NHL.