Hockey enthusiasts in Utah recently got a phenomenal offer they couldn’t resist— choosing the name for their new National Hockey League (NHL) team. Smith Entertainment Group, the team’s owner, rolled out a survey this Wednesday to find the new team’s moniker, with keen fans given a whopping 20 names to consider. The one-rule catch for the team’s name is that it must begin with ‘Utah’.
The team’s owner, Ryan Smith, shared his sentiment with The Associated Press that this was in tune with the plan to emblazon the state’s name across the jerseys for the inaugural season. Smith continued to reveal the rollout plans, saying a unique name, logo, and color palette, devised by reputable branding company Doubleday & Cartwright, will unveil in the 2025-26 season.
Smith was also keen to highlight the significant role played by the Utah community to the NHL team. He stated, “Utah’s NHL team is a community asset, and we want to make sure that the community has a say in what the name is.” He added that from the moment Utah was awarded the franchise, the community has shown unwavering support for the team. This enthusiasm led Smith’s group to offer the rare feather in the cap for fans to be part of naming the team they’d cheer for in the rink.
A robust lineup of potential names were floated for fans to take their pick from, and they varied as much as the Utah landscape they intended to embody: Frost, Ice, Powder, Mountaineers, Freeze, Mammoth, Black Diamonds, Blast, Caribou, Blizzard, Swarm, Hive, Outlaws, Yeti, Squall, Fury, Glaciers, Canyons, Venom and HC, an acronym for Hockey Club.
The story of how Utah landed itself an NHL team is still in the infancy stage. Smith Entertainment Group snagged the Arizona Coyotes from Alex Meruelo, the former owner, for a modest sum of $1.2 million before relocating the team to Salt Lake City. Slated to play in the Jazz’s downtown arena, famously known as Delta Center, the team will have the sixth pick in the NHL draft after not advancing in the lottery won by San Jose the previous Tuesday night.
