Utah’s NHL identity crisis: Which name will reign supreme?
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Utah’s NHL team remains in limbo as fans vote on its official name, with Mammoth, Outlaws, and Hockey Club competing for the franchise’s identity.
The National Hockey League (NHL) has been home to some of the greatest team names in sports. As the league expands, however, one team remains stuck in transition. For now, they are known as the Utah Hockey Club, functional yet far from inspiring.
The Utah Hockey Club was created on April 18, 2024, as part of a league expansion signed off by the NHL Board of Governors. They now operate under Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. Smith acquired all assets from the Arizona Coyotes, including players, coaches, and draft picks, in place of an expansion draft.
Not all hope is lost, as three potential new names are on the horizon. The Smith Entertainment Group has put the franchise's future in fans’ hands, allowing them to vote on a name. The three options for fans to choose from are the Utah Mammoth, Utah Outlaws, or to keep it as the Utah Hockey Club. One name that did not make the cut was the Utah Yeti, as the team would share the same name as the popular cooler, “YETI Coolers.” The Smith Entertainment Group attempted every avenue of creating a co-existence agreement but ultimately failed to reach a resolution.
The fan vote will take place after four consecutive home games, where fans will be presented with photos containing mockups of logos on jerseys, using their current uniforms, minus the “Utah” across the chest. The final jerseys will end up looking like these mockups but are likely not exactly what will be on the official jerseys.
Starting with option one, the Utah Mammoth. The name takes inspiration from the mammoths that are believed to have roamed the land that is now Utah more than 10,000 years ago. Paleontologists have found their bones throughout the state, including Huntington Canyon, which is about a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Salt Lake City. The logo is a side-facing, menacing-looking mammoth. It is an okay logo, but the meaning behind the mammoth name considers the state’s history. It is no wonder it has made it this far in the naming process.
Moving onto option two, the Utah Outlaws. Initially, the franchise had the idea of using the Utah Wasatch as an option, referring to the “…mythical snow creature that, with a Utah-centric approach, inspired by the Wasatch Mountain range.” After the announcement went out, a day later, the franchise swapped Wasatch out for Outlaws based on feedback. The Outlaws name is taken from Utah’s history of their folk heroes, Outlaws. The logo features a front-facing cowboy hat and a bandana-covered face. The name and logo could use some help becoming more Utah-esque.
The last option is to keep the name Utah Hockey Club. Is it the coolest name in the league— no, but it does the job. In the mockup logo, a mountain range is incorporated into the head of a yeti. This logo and name allow them to keep the idea of the yeti without the business and legal troubles that came along with the name.
The debate over the perfect name continues as the NHL’s newest franchise moves closer to choosing its official identity. Until then, the Utah Hockey Club remains in search of the perfect moniker, leaving fans eagerly awaiting the final decision.