Utah Hockey Club president of hockey operations Chris Armstrong speaks during a press conference held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 5, 2024. (Photo courtesy of Isaac Hale, Deseret News)
(Photo courtesy of Isaac Hale, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY – With the Utah Hockey Club’s inaugural season well underway, the organization has still yet to announce a team name. However, President of Hockey Operations Chris Armstrong sat down with KSL Sports on Tuesday and provided the latest update on the situation.
Shortly after the team was acquired by Smith Entertainment Group, a survey was released to fans with an opportunity to vote for their top favorite names.
These are the nicknames listed on the survey:
While nothing has been confirmed, both General Manager Bill Armstrong and forward Clayton Keller have weighed in on what they believe the team’s name will be.
Following the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft, Armstrong referenced the name Yeti when discussing Tij Iginla as their selection.
“When we hit pick five, that’s when we knew. That’s when we knew he would be a Utah Yeti, I think,” he said.
“I’m not allowed to pick the name. But I think the little kids in Utah vote about 25 times a day, so I think they got it,” Armstrong continued.
As for Keller, he mentioned the name Yeti at the NHL North American Players Media Tour during the preseason.
“It sounds like it’s going to be the Yeti, but I don’t know,” Keller said. “We’ll see what happens. Whatever they choose, I think it’ll be a good one.
Full Story: Clayton Keller Tells NHL.com UHC Team Name May Be Yeti
Again, nothing has been confirmed by the Utah Hockey Club on a team name. However, Chris Armstrong was able to explain the current state of naming the team as they navigate the complexities of intellectual property and trademarking.
“It is a complex process when you get into intellectual property and trademark. It’s clear to us what our fans want us to be called. Can we bring that to fruition? Thats the process we are in. Identifying that, answering those questions is something that we’re highly motivated and have been since the day we got this franchise…we hear you and we are doing everything we possibly can,” Armstrong told KSL Sports.
Chris Armstrong on team name: “It’s clear to us what our fans want us to be called. Can we bring that to fruition? Thats the process we are in…we hear you & we are doing everything we possibly can.”#UtahHC is currently navigating the complex process of intellectual property &…
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) October 29, 2024
Regardless of what the team is eventually named, these legal processes take time to resolve. This is not a situation like the Seattle Kraken or Vegas Golden Knights where they had more than a year to prepare for the team to arrive. Utah had five months to make everything happen and so far, they’ve done a remarkable job.
The most important part is that NHL hockey is being played in Salt Lake City. A name will be established soon enough that will be beautifully paired with their current colors and branding.
The Utah Hockey Club will continue their two-game homestand against the Calgary Flames on Wednesday. The game can be viewed on SEG+. Fans can also tune in on air on the KSL Sports APP or on 97.5 and 1280 The Zone. Click here for the full schedule.
