That latest on Utah Hockey Club’s name

Utah Hockey Club had to answer dozens of questions over the past few months as it prepared for its first NHL season in Utah.
Were Utahns really interested in a team?
Where would the team practice?
Could the Delta Center be home to two different franchises?
What are “partial ice view” seats?
Team leaders answered these and many more as they navigated the “pretty miraculous” process of moving an NHL franchise from Arizona to Utah, as the Deseret News previously reported.
But as the regular season begins Tuesday, there’s still a major question left unanswered: After this season, what will Utah’s NHL team be called?
Amid the Arizona Coyotes’ move to Utah, it became clear that the team’s news owners wouldn’t have enough time to rebrand the franchise before the 2024-25 NHL season started.
It usually takes around 18 months for a team to design a new logo, secure appropriate trademarks and produce branded items, like jerseys, according to NHL.com.
In early May, Smith Entertainment Group announced that Utah’s NHL team would play under generic “Utah” branding this season and that fans would get to weigh in on possible new team names through a multi-part survey.
When the Utah hockey team name survey launched in May, there were 20 options to choose from: Utah Glaciers, Utah Mammoth, Utah Caribou, Utah Powder, Utah Squall, Utah Ice, Utah HC (Hockey Club), Utah Freeze, Utah Frost, Utah Hive, Utah Swarm, Utah Mountaineers, Utah Venom, Utah Canyons, Utah Yeti, Utah Black Diamonds, Utah Outlaws, Utah Fury, Utah Blast and Utah Blizzard.
By June 6, the following six options had emerged as the top contenders after receiving 60% of the votes cast, as the Deseret News previously reported.
Although Ryan Smith, co-owner of the Utah’s NHL team, has spoken often about listening to fans during the re-branding process, the fine print of the survey notes that the final decision rests with Smith Entertainment Group, as the Deseret News previously reported.
The Utah Hockey team name for the 2024-25 season, Utah Hockey Club or Utah HC, made the final round of the fan vote, but that doesn’t mean it’s the frontrunner.
That distinction goes to Utah Yeti, since members of the franchise keep referencing it, as the Deseret News has reported.
“It sounds like it’s going to be the Yeti, but I don’t know,” said Utah Hockey Club captain Clayton Keller in early September.
But many in Utah have expressed support for the Utah HC branding, especially after the Utah hockey jerseys for this season were unveiled.
The jerseys are white, black and light blue, and feature an “inaugural season” patch.
When the Utah hockey team name is finalized, the new branding will likely involve a new mascot.
But for the 2024-25 NHL season, the team is going to borrow the Jazz Bear from the Utah Jazz, according to a social media announcement from Utah Hockey Club.
“Hey Bear, it’s Coach Bear,” says Utah HC head coach Andre Tourigny, whose nickname is “Bear,” in the announcement. “We’ll really need your help during the season this year. We’ll like you to get our crowd going, give us some energy and put the party in the building.”