The latest on the Utah Hockey Club name

The Utah Hockey Club has had to answer dozens of questions in recent months as it prepares for its first NHL season in Utah.

Were the Utahns really interested in a team?

Where would the team train?

Could Delta Center house two different franchises?

What are Partial Ice View seats?

Team leaders answered these questions and many more as they navigated the “pretty miraculous” process of moving an NHL franchise from Arizona to Utah, the Deseret News previously reported.

But as the regular season begins Tuesday, one important question still remains unanswered: What will Utah's NHL team be called after this season?

Fan voting for Utah's NHL team name

With the Arizona Coyotes moving to Utah, it became clear that the team's news owners would not have enough time to rebrand the franchise before the start of the 2024-25 NHL season.

According to NHL.com, it typically takes about 18 months for a team to design a new logo, secure appropriate trademarks and produce branded merchandise such as jerseys.

In early May, Smith Entertainment Group announced that Utah's NHL team would play under the generic “Utah” branding this season and that fans could weigh in on possible new team names through a multi-part poll.

When the Utah hockey team name poll began in May, there were 20 options to choose from: Utah Glaciers, Utah Mammoth, Utah Caribou, Utah Powder, Utah Squall, Utah Ice, Utah HC (Hockey Club), Utah Freeze, Utah Frost, Utah Hive, Utah Swarm, Utah Mountaineers, Utah Venom, Utah Canyons, Utah Yeti, Utah Black Diamonds, Utah Outlaws, Utah Fury, Utah Blast and Utah Blizzard.

As of June 6, the following six options were the leading candidates after receiving 60% of votes cast, the Deseret News previously reported.

• Utah Blizzard.

• Utah HC (hockey club).

• Utah mammoth.

• Utah Outlaws.

• Utah poison.

• Utah Yeti.

Although Utah NHL team co-owner Ryan Smith has often spoken about listening to fans during the rebranding process, the survey's fine print states that the final decision rests with Smith Entertainment Group, as the Deseret News previously reported .

Utah hockey team name options

The name of the Utah hockey team for the 2024-25 season, Utah Hockey Club or Utah HC, has made it to the final round of fan voting, but that doesn't mean it's the frontrunner.

This award goes to Utah Yeti because members of the franchise continue to reference it, as Deseret News has reported.

“It sounds like it’s the Yeti, but I don’t know,” Utah Hockey Club captain Clayton Keller said in early September.

But many in Utah have expressed their support for the Utah HC branding, especially after the Utah hockey jerseys were unveiled for this season.

The jerseys are white, black and light blue and feature an “Opening Season” patch.

Utah hockey mascot

When the name of the Utah hockey team is finalized, the new branding will likely include a new mascot.

But for the 2024-25 NHL season, the team will loan Jazz Bear from the Utah Jazz, according to a social media announcement from the Utah Hockey Club.

“Hey Bear, this is Coach Bear,” Utah HC head coach Andre Tourigny, whose nickname is “Bear,” said in the announcement. “We will really need your help during this year’s season. We want you to get our crowd going, give us some energy and have the party in the building.”