The 20 options, some of which were submitted by fans in a previous survey, are Utah HC (Hockey Club), Canyons, Yeti, Ice, Mountaineers, Fury, Swarm, Squall, Venom, Caribou, Frost, Freeze, Powder, Glaciers, Black Diamonds, Outlaws, Mammoth, Blast, Blizzard and Hive.
Utah is the Beehive State, which explains the bee-themed options. Salt Lake City’s minor league baseball team, the Class AAA affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels, is named the Bees.
“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,” Ryan Smith, the leader of the team’s ownership group, said in a statement. “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.”
Smith, who also owns the NBA’s Utah Jazz, told NHL.com last month that he didn’t want to rush a rebrand this offseason. The team will wear jerseys with the name “Utah” during its inaugural 2024-25 season, similar to how the NFL’s Washington Commanders went by the Washington Football Team for two seasons after retiring its controversial former name in 2022. Utah’s NHL team will debut its name, logo, mascot and colors for the 2025-26 campaign.
“It’s got to be something that drives people to want to be a part of it, from all ages,” Smith told the Athletic when asked about the importance of the name. “It’s got to be a momentum builder.”
The team says it will “employ best practice survey research methodology to ensure fairness, accuracy, and unbiased results” and “the prevention of ballot box stuffing.” Additional details about the branding process will be announced later this summer.
Many NHL teams, including the Buffalo Sabres, Columbus Blue Jackets, Pittsburgh Penguins, San Jose Sharks and Washington Capitals, relied heavily on fan input, including team-sponsored contests, when choosing their names.
When the Winnipeg Jets relocated to Phoenix in 1996, the franchise’s ownership group presented eight options and allowed write-in submissions as part of a name-the-team contest that garnered 10,000 entries. Two of the names suggested by ownership — Outlaws and Freeze — are options for Utah’s team. Fan-submitted names included Posse, Dry Ice and a certain figure skater who had been in the news.
“I know they’re being humorous but we’re getting a lot of people saying we should name the team after Tonya Harding,” Joel Horn, the contest’s spokesman, told the Winnipeg Sun.
Phoenix’s ownership group ultimately chose Coyotes over Scorpions — and Tonya Harding.