The Utah NHL hockey team is slated to begin its inaugural season in 2024-25. It is the first NHL franchise in the Beehive State.
The team will play its home games at the Delta Center, which will be modified to accommodate both the Utah Jazz of the NBA and the new hockey franchise.
The move came about after Ryan and Ashley Smith, owners of the Jazz, essentially had the now-defunct Arizona Coyotes relocated. Approval by the NHL Board of Governors to acquire the assets of the Coyotes was granted in April. And thus, a Utah hockey franchise was born.
That much is established at least. What hasn’t been addressed is the team’s name. Until now. And for the upcoming season, it’s going to be pretty boring.
The team name is … *drumroll* … Utah.
Cue the sad trombone.
“For the inaugural season in 2024-25, the team will wear jerseys that display ‘Utah,'” NHL.com writes.
The club won’t implement a new team name until the 2025-2026 season.
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Utah … Just Utah
What is it with the state of Utah and their struggles with picking names for their professional sports teams? When Utah’s NBA team was relocated from New Orleans to Salt Lake City in 1979, they simply kept the nickname the “Jazz”.
It’s been almost 50 years guys. While we’re sure there are good jazz clubs in Utah, people don’t exactly associate the pairing. Maybe something a little more suitable for the hometown team in Salt Lake?
And now we have an NHL team that will be known as simply ‘Utah’. Not something fairly cool like the ‘Utah Hockey Team’. Akin to what the Washington Commanders did while transitioning to their new team name.
Just ‘Utah.’
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What Should Utah’s NHL Hockey Team Be Named?
While initial rumors of Utah getting an NHL team surfaced this past June, it appears the several ensuing months weren’t enough to come up with a new name.
Fortunately, there is a plan in the works for the season after the next one at least.
For the 2025-2026 season, the team is asking fans to vote on their new name. It includes these 20 choices, as per Sportslogos.net:
- Utah Black Diamonds
- Utah Blast
- Utah Blizzard
- Utah Canyons
- Utah Caribou
- Utah Freeze
- Utah Frost
- Utah Fury
- Utah Glaciers
- Utah HC
- Utah Hive
- Utah Ice
- Utah Mammoth
- Utah Mountaineers
- Utah Outlaws
- Utah Powder
- Utah Squall
- Utah Swarm
- Utah Venom
- Utah Yeti
Granted, there might be an issue with the University of Utah, but the NHL team is missing an opportunity by simply going with the name ‘Utes.’
Anytime players score a goal via an assist the team can celebrate how the ‘two Utes’ delivered. Joe Pesci’s head could appear on the jumbotron as the crowd goes wild.
Hey, it’s better than the Utah Caribou.
