SALT LAKE CITY – Smith Entertainment Group revealed the widely anticipated survey to name Utah’s National Hockey League franchise.
The NHL naming bracket was unveiled on Wednesday, May 8.
The first round of voting will be open through May 22.
“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,” SEG chairman and governor of Utah’s NHL team Ryan Smith 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. ”
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Ryan Smith previously announced that the team would be called “Utah” rather than “Salt Lake City” or “Salt Lake.” The team will sport “Utah” on its sweaters during Year 1 as a franchise.
During the next year, SEG will work with Doubleday & Cartwright, an acclaimed creative consultancy and design studio, to create the team’s logo, mascot, colors, and other branding elements.
Our @NHL team is here! Now, help us select a name 🏒
Round one of our naming survey is open until May 22. Vote now to let your voice be heard.https://t.co/bOsMHmjHNd pic.twitter.com/NVhV3c5ILk
— Delta Center (@deltacenter) May 9, 2024
SEG says it will unveil the name and branding before the 2025-26 season.
These are the nicknames listed on the survey:
Fans can vote on the nickname survey by clicking here.
Fans can select up to four nicknames during the initial round of the survey.
Utah! Our NHL team is here. Help us choose a name. https://t.co/xhFewNfnyD
— Ryan Smith (@RyanQualtrics) May 9, 2024
Since Smith acquired the franchise in April, fans have thrown around potential nicknames and logos for the club on social media. Multiple trademarks were filed anonymously with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as well.
In KSL Sports’ unofficial nickname poll, Utah Yetis was the running away winner with 32.3 percent of the vote.
On April 22, the Smith appeared on The Pat McAfee Show to discuss Utah’s team and detailed the process for choosing the team’s nickname.
RELATED: Ryan Smith Says Fan-Voted Bracket Will Decide Utah’s NHL Team Nickname
Smith told Pat McAfee that Utah’s NHL team would have its name voted on by fans.
"The people are gonna vote" to decide the nickname of Utah's @NHL team, according to @RyanQualtrics. 🏒#NHLinUtah #NHL @PatMcAfeeShow https://t.co/0Ubm4XYeHs
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) April 22, 2024
“We’re doing a bracket,” the NBA and NHL team owner told the former NFL punter.
Smith added that the bracket would begin with eight nicknames and trimmed down until the eventual winning name is decided. “We’re gonna take this down from like eight all the way down and the fans are gonna vote for this,” Smith detailed.
Since the middle of April, multiple trademark applications for team nicknames related to Utah have been filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Those nicknames included Utah Blizzard, Utah Venom, Utah Fury, Utah HC, Utah Hockey Club, Utah Yetis, Utah Outlaws, and more.
Assuming Smith’s ownership group was the one to file for the trademarks, that would leave one more nickname to decide the eight in the fan-voted bracket.
Before the interview ended, Smith emphasized to McAfee that “the people are gonna vote” for the team’s nickname.
Kyle Ireland is a Sports Producer and Locals in the NFL Insider for KSLSports.com. Listen to Ireland on Yards After College: An NFL Podcast. Follow him on X (@kyleireland), Threads (@kyleirelandksl), and Instagram (@kyleirelandksl).
