The recent major news in NHL was the off-season move of the Arizona Coyotes to Utah. The decision to relocate to Salt Lake City by the Coyotes occurred due to failed negotiations for a new desert deal. As a result, Ryan Smith, who also owns the MLS team Real Salt Lake and the NBA’s Utah Jazz, allowed fans to participate in selecting a new name for the relocated Coyotes.
Starting with 20 options, Smith Entertainment Group has now trimmed the list down to six potential team names after receiving an overwhelming 520,000 votes. The final six names fans can vote on until June 20th are Utah Hockey Club, Outlaws, Yeti, Mammoth, Blizzard, and Venom.
Utah NHL Team Name choices have been cut down to six.
• Utah Blizzard
• Utah Hockey Club (Utah HC)
• Utah Mammoth
• Utah Outlaws
• Utah Venom
• Utah Yeti
Alex Meruelo, who retained the Coyotes’ name rights, aims to potentially bring back a Phoenix-area team, hence retaining the name rights. In contrast, the Utah NHL team is forging its own identity in the league under Smith’s leadership.
Smith is enthusiastic about establishing the team’s unique identity, starting with the presence of “Utah” on the jerseys, with plans to solidify the team’s complete name soon, according to an interview with The Associated Press.
Smith is not only focusing on the team identity but also on fostering a hockey community in Salt Lake City, complete with new rinks and youth programs to engage fans. Sharing the Delta Center with his NBA team, Smith aims to enhance the fan experience by increasing stadium capacity from 12,000 to 17,500.
Salt Lake City, despite its limited hockey history, is excited to welcome NHL, presenting an opportunity for the community to embrace the sport. The transition to Salt Lake by the Utah NHL team will take time, but the city’s anticipation for professional hockey is now being fulfilled.