Utah NHL Team Down to 6 Possible Names After Vote; Mammoth, Yeti, Venom Among Options
Mike Chiari@@mikechiari
Featured Columnist IVJune 6, 2024
Utah's NHL team has whittled the field of choices down from 20 to six for its new team name following the relocation of the Arizona Coyotes.
After 520,000 fans cast an initial vote, the six options are as follows, according to Chris Johnston of The Athletic: Utah Hockey Club (Utah HC), Utah Blizzard, Utah Mammoth, Utah Outlaws, Utah Venom and Utah Yeti.
Per ESPN, the franchise's jerseys will say "Utah" on them during the 2024-25 season before transitioning to the new name, logo and colors in 2025-26.
Utah's NHL team will play in Salt Lake City at the Utah Jazz's Delta Center, and there is already significant fan interest in the team.
Within one day after the franchise officially moved from Arizona to Utah, nearly 23,000 fans paid deposits on season tickets.
The Arizona Coyotes, originally known as the Phoenix Coyotes, existed from the 1996-97 season through the 2023-24 season. The franchise was a result of the original Winnipeg Jets relocating.
Now, the entire franchise will be transitioned to Utah, including the players, coaches and staff.
Ryan Smith, who is the governor of the NBA's Jazz, purchased the NHL franchise for $1.2 billion from Alex Meruelo in April.
The Coyotes had little choice other than to relocate due to their inability to secure a new arena. However, Meruelo will be given the opportunity to bring the Coyotes back to the NHL as an expansion team if he can get a new arena in the next five years.
Regardless of whether that happens, Utah's team will succeed the original version of the Coyotes.
Utah's hockey team already took part in its first piece of business as an NHL franchise with its involvement in the NHL draft lottery last month. Utah secured the No. 6 overall pick in the 2024 NHL draft.
Utah is the first new NHL team since the Seattle Kraken entered the league as an expansion franchise in 2021, and the first team to be the product of relocation since the Atlanta Thrashers became the Winnipeg Jets in 2011.