It’s always an exciting time when a new NHL team comes into the league. It gets fans of the sport and the league excited to see what the team will be called, how their jerseys and logos will look, and what their colors will look like. With NHL Utah, it’s no different, except owner Ryan Smith decided to give the fans input on what his new team should be called. What was once 20 names has been narrowed down to six and now fans will go through a second round of voting to decide the final name. With that in mind, the three Utah writers at The Hockey Writers: Cooper Krigbaum, Parker Beh, and I decided to rank the final names. Here are the results.
6 – Hockey Club
Chase: I mean, come on. It’s lazy. There’s a reason why no other major league sports team has used “insert sport” club or team for longer than two years. Using Hockey Club gives you no identity and no branding. I can’t imagine a crowd chanting “Let’s go Hockey Club” being ideal as well.
Cooper: If we’re being honest, Utah Hockey Club is not an NHL team name. At the end of the day, it’s the uniqueness that makes a team name a team name; this just isn’t cutting it. It comes off as lazy, and you can only go so far with a logo with a name like this. I can’t imagine this is a fan favorite and for good reasons.
Parker: It is time to bring out the safety net with this one. This name gives off the NFL’s Washington Commanders’ “Washington Football Club” team name they had short term. While I could see the franchise going with this name for its inaugural season to consider its options fully, the name is bland. Also, the logo with this name will be simple.
5 – Mammoth
Chase: Mammoth and Blizzard were battling it out for my third and fourth placing, but I took Mammoth over Blizzard. Mammoth is another name on the list that relates to the state of Utah, as mammoth remains have been found all across the state. In addition, there is a ghost town in the state by the same name. I think you can do some great branding with the name as well. While it’s not my personal favorite, I do understand the hype behind the name, and I think the team could do a lot of cool stuff with it.
Cooper: This one just isn’t cutting it for me. Mammoth makes sense don’t get me wrong, it just doesn’t feel like a hockey name. Although, with the Seattle Kraken getting their team name, it wouldn’t shock me if Mammoth ended up winning the vote.
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Parker: It looks like Utah is going with the Kraken’s blast from the past with their team name. Mammoths are an extinct species, and while Kraken never existed, they found their way to become an NHL team name in the Kraken. I think this option lacks creativity in logo and jersey designs, unlike the Utah Yeti, Blizzard, or Outlaws.
4- Venom
Chase: When the original 20 names came out, Venom was one of my least favorites. However, after thinking about it, I think a snake branding with the new Utah team would be cool. I think back to the IHL’s Detroit Vipers who had one of the coolest logos in sports history. There are seven venomous snakes in the state of Utah so it makes sense to use the Venom name. I think you could use some cool colors in the branding as well, including purple…the league needs more purple.
Cooper: People either love or hate the name Venom, but for me, it’s alright. There’s nothing quite special about the word Venom; the only reason I think it would be cool is what the jerseys would look like. I think they could create some unique jerseys with this name, but the name itself doesn’t jump out to me.
Parker: When I think of the landscape of Utah, I do not think of animals that contain poisonous substances. I think the two other possible animals fit better (Utah Yeti or Mammoth) as team names. The “Utah Venom” sounds awkward to me. This team name at least has some creative effort towards it, unlike my least favorite option.
3- Yeti
Chase: I know everyone loves the name “Yeti,” but I absolutely can’t stand this name. While it plays well with the mythical theme that has been going on recently with the NHL with the Vegas Golden Knights and Kraken, I think it’s not as cool as those two. Also, the Colorado Avalanche have used the Yeti character in the past as a shoulder patch on their old jerseys and, of course, their old legendary mascot: Howler the Yeti. When I think of the word Yeti, I think of the cup or the creature from Monsters Inc. that is offering snow cones. I know this will probably be the final name, and I’m sure a lot of people will disagree with me, but there are so many better names out there.
Cooper: Yeti was a fan favorite before the voting for the team name even started, and it’s not that bad. While the “Utah Yeti” ring sounds a little funky, I suppose that goes for most new team names. I certainly don’t mind Yeti, as it would mesh well with the rest of the league’s names, but something about it is throwing it off for me. It’s not the worst by any stretch, but it’s not the best.
Parker: To me, it is like bread and butter. Both words in the Utah Yeti are two syllables and four letters long. Yeti does fit the cooler climate of Utah during their winter months. I think this logo and jersey design would be the most visually appealing. Also, this gives Utah an interesting-looking mascot.
2- Blizzard
Chase: I didn’t think this name would get into the final six simply because I didn’t think it would be that popular. I don’t mind Blizzard because Utah goes through multiple blizzards and snowstorms during wintertime. I like it when a team’s name relates to the actual city, and this is one of the only ones that does so in the final six. The problem with Blizzard is that it’s very similar to the Avalanche. I don’t know how they’d feel about Utah picking this name, but it’s not a horrible name. Plus, they could do an incredible promotion with Dairy Queen.
Cooper: This one gets a lot of slander for its similarity to the Avalanche, and while that is understandable, this is definitely my second favorite. Salt Lake City has snowy winters, so this would be a good name for the team and make a ton of sense. It also would go well with the Utah Jazz, who also have a snow-like jersey with them, returning to their throwbacks worn in the 90s.
Parker: This team name is second only because it does not have the ring to it like the “Utah Yeti.” I agree with Cooper here; it fits the climate in Utah and could match the color scheme and design of the Utah Jazz. If they go this route, Utah could add another non-animal name to its sports city.
1- Outlaws
Chase: This has been my favorite name ever since the original 20. I think using a Wild West theme would be cool for this team as well. I’ve seen a lot of cool concepts online already, and I think it’s such an awesome name. It pays honor to Utah’s wild west history that, included infamous outlaws like Butch Cassidy. I think it would be hard to mess up the branding, and I think the logo could end up being one of the best in the league. It would be cool to say you are an outlaw fan plus the in-arena entertainment and aspects could be so interesting as well. It can totally be made into a show similar to what the Golden Knights do.
Cooper: The Outlaws’ name seemed to come out of nowhere during the voting and is by far my favorite. While it doesn’t necessarily fit with the snow/animal theme the rest of the names have, it fits perfectly and rolls off the tongue well. Having the team out west also helps the theme of the “Utah Outlaws,” so I think this is by far the best and would be a great team name for the franchise.
Parker: While I do think this team name sticks out from the rest, it is not my preferred option. This name does not fit the geographical location of where the team is in my opinion. If a team in the Midwest were to get an NHL expansion team down the line, this would be a great option. If Utah decides to go with this team name, it will give them flexibility in design and color scheme-wise.
Utah Outlaws seems to be the fan favorite at The Hockey Writers. However, Yeti seems to be the general favorite, with the highest odds of being the final name for the new franchise. We’ll see what ends up being the final name, but it seems like the new franchise will have a name that the majority of fans are pleased with, thanks to Smith’s inclusivity of hockey supporters in deciding the name.
