Utah NHL owner reveals two front runners for new team name

PUBLICATION

Liam McCormick
May 30, 2024 (1:39 PM)

SHARE THIS STORY

Ever since news of the Coyotes relocation came down, the new NHL team in Utah has been hard at work to prepare for the season - including choosing their team name.

In a recent television interview, Utah owner Ryan Smith mentioned two names that appear to be the leading candidates: the Utah Yeti, and the Utah Mammoth.

»We've got our four. Mammoth's up there, I think Yeti is up there. Think a couple other ones are up there. It should be good!»
- Utah NHL owner Ryan Smith

Smith mentioned two other names are still in contention, but the fact that he directly mentioned the names Yeti and Mammoth clearly identifies the two leading names.

Earlier this month, Ryan Smith enlisted the help of hockey fans to name the team by setting up a vote system for a wide selection of name candidates. The team will definitely draw opinions and data from the fan choices when creating their name, although it may not be decided directly via fan vote. Along with the Yeti and Mammoth, the Outlaws, Fury, Ice, and Hockey Club were among the top choices of names.

It's incredibly exciting to watch another NHL franchise grow so quickly, and have so much energy and enthusiasm around the forming team. The Utah market is looking extremely promising to be a well-run team with a legitimate building and an excited fanbase - something that just clearly wasn't happening with the Arizona Coyotes. The NHL made the right move relocating to Utah, and now hockey fans will get one more real team to cheer for next year.