Fans clamoring to learn the name of Utah's new NHL team since its move to Salt Lake City was first announced have actually known it all along.
For now, the name of the Utah NHL team will be ... the Utah NHL Team.
On Wednesday, the Smith Entertainment Group announced the start of a survey that will allow fans to choose what they'd like the franchise to be called.
However, for its first season of play, the franchise will keep its generic Utah name, with the state name on the front of game sweaters.
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The following 20 names are now in play for a team name that will be introduced before the start of the second season in 2025-26:
- Utah Black Diamonds
- Utah Blast
- Utah Blizzard
- Utah Canyons
- Utah Caribou
- Utah Freeze
- Utah Frost
- Utah Fury
- Utah Glaciers
- Utah Hive
- Utah HC
- Utah Ice
- Utah Mammoth
- Utah Mountaineers
- Utah Outlaws
- Utah Powder
- Utah Squall
- Utah Swarm
- Utah Venom
- Utah Yeti
Fans will have until May 22 to pick up to four favorite names. Details on further rounds will be announced later this summer.
For weeks, the name of the former Arizona Coyotes team that moved to the Beehive State was a mystery waiting to be solved. Odds were placed on what the nickname would possibly be, while fans suggested their favorites and sent in homemade artwork.
"Utah’s NHL team is a community asset, and we want to make sure that the community has a say in what the name is,” said Ryan Smith. “Utah has shown up for this team from the moment the NHL awarded us the franchise less than three weeks ago, and it is only fitting that our fans get the rare opportunity to help name the team they’ll be cheering for. ”
This story was originally published by Jeff Tavss at Scripps News Salt Lake City.
