Utah Hockey Club announces permanent name finalists
By Max Weisman
The Utah Hockey Club, playing its first season in Utah since relocating from Phoenix, Arizona this offseason, announced three finalists fans can vote on for their permanent name. A fan favorite isn't on the list. Utah fans and hockey fans alike believed the team would settle on Utah Yeti, but Yeti wasn't even included on the list of finalists due to a trademark battle with the cooler company.
Mike Maughan, an executive of the team's parent company, told ESPN that the team is dropping Yeti as a potential name after the US Patent and Trademark Office rejected proposed logos for a potential Utah Yeti team. According to the USPTO, the likelihood of confusion among consumers due to the Yeti Cooler Company was the main reason for rejection.
The team revealed the three name finalists on their social media Wednesday.
The next phase of voting for our team name is here! 📫
— Utah Hockey Club (@utahhockeyclub) January 29, 2025
Fans attending the next four home games will get an exclusive chance to shape our identity by voting on the next short list of three name options, complete with logos and branding!
Read More: https://t.co/S9ZdmcXsWc pic.twitter.com/5AQOvmQVz9
RELATED: U.S. Patent Office denies fans of NHL team their desired mascot: report
Utah Hockey Club, the incumbent name, is among the three finalists and despite it being objectively the most boring of the three, fans might have an attachment to it from this inaugural season. The name most similar to the Utah Yeti, the Utah Mammoth, is among the finalists, and the third name is the Utah Wasatch, named after the mountain range right by Salt Lake City.
Fans can vote on the choices at the Delta Center during the Club's next four home games, though the winner of the vote won't automatically be chosen as the permanent name. Maughan told ESPN that there will be another round of voting following this one and that the permanent name and logo will be ready to go by next season.
If I had a vote, it would be for Wasatch. I love the idea of strengthening the rivalry with the Colorado Rockies, also named after a mountain range, albeit a much bigger one. The voting in the Delta Center began Wednesday night and will last through February 4.
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