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The NHL’s new Utah franchise opened up its final 20 potential names to a fan vote earlier this month via tweet from owner Ryan Smith.
Ryan Smith @RyanQualtrics
Utah! Our NHL team is here. Help us choose a name. https://t.co/xhFewNfnyD
The poll lists 20 options narrowed down from a prior ballot, and fans can choose their top four options until Round 1 of voting concludes on May 22.
While we cast our votes, let’s sit down and think about what each team name would feel like.
Here’s our ranking of the final 20 potential names for the Utah hockey club.
I mean, who do you think you are? This sort of thing only works if the entire league is in cahoots about it, or if you’re part of an all-continent-spanning pastime like soccer. The Utah Hockey Club doesn’t even exist yet, and none of the other NHL team names follow this blueprint. We all love hockey, but it doesn’t have the universal recognition of soccer.
You’re not trying hard enough.
Imagine you’re a fan of the Utah Hive and they are fighting for their lives in a playoff situation. Do you really want to hand “Breaking out in Hives?” to your opposition’s social media team on a platter?
So now we’re just naming things that are relative to Utah? What if Alaska gets a hockey team? This name would become sillier than it already is, and there are no takesies-backsies.
Photo by: Marli Miller/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
The Utah Caribou. Who says no? Well, me, because I looked into this and there are no Caribou in Utah. According to my research, there are “deer-like species” found in Utah, but no actual caribou are in the lower 48 states. Pass.
The whole beehive thing is intrinsic to Utah and its existence, and it’s meant to symbolize hard work and unity. But so many bee-themed names just reek of minor league clubs.
The number of times we refer to ice as the sheet of ice in hockey makes this a bad idea. Won’t someone please think of the broadcasters and writers?
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If we’re going to force an eventual rivalry between Utah and Colorado, you can’t have the Frost playing the Avalanche. You’re giving Colorado far too much ammunition for no good reason.
Is “I can’t explain it, but I just don’t like it” a good enough reason? It just doesn’t scream or even whisper “Utah,” and with a relocated team you really want to establish an identity. It sounds like a fake team name from a movie.
Again, I’m not keen on the insect/snake theme, but this is the best one. It could also refer to the venom of several other creatures in that region, so we’re cool with this one.
We like this one because it isn’t just naming a thing in Utah, it’s naming what’s so great about Utah’s skiing scene. Who doesn’t want to crush some powder in Salt Lake City? Powder is a cute and catchy nickname for snow, but it’s also a not-so-cute alternative name for other stuff, so we have deduct points for the inevitable inappropriate chirps from opposing fanbases.
Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images
Sounds too much like Mousekateers, Musketeers and Lumineers. Besides, there are far cooler names to describe a person who is a mountaineer.
This just feels like too much. It doesn’t roll off the tongue. It would get annoying to say after a while, and there aren’t too many obvious abbreviations that come to mind and feel suitable. We do like the concept and the potential artwork that could come out of this, but at what cost?
Now we’re veering into “that’ll play if they make it the actual team name” territory. The Utah Blast is fine. “Having a Blast” would be a cute slogan, and there’s plenty to work with in terms of that. It’s pretty unique as well.
There’s nothing wrong with the Utah Blizzard, and if there were fewer natural disaster team names in the NHL, it would be a top three here. It rolls off the tongue pretty nicely, the concept of a blizzard is scary enough to incite fear in opponents, and it would be so fun to call them “The Bliz.” But I find weather names a bit played out at this point, especially if your geographical rival will be the Avalanche.
Now, the Utah Mammoth name has it all: Actual relevance to the region, a scary and fun extinct creature with lore and potential for good branding and mascots. If you’re going to replace a franchise and brand as iconic as the Kachina, the least you could do is keep the “creature, not weather” vibe going.
This would be sick! This makes me want to go to Utah right now and embark on some sort of adventure. This is the exact vibe you want to be giving off as a relocated franchise in uncharted territory.
First of all, I’m relieved the powers-that-be landed on Yeti, not Yetis. Second of all, what sounds better than the Utah Yeti? You’d think this is an awesome franchise that already exists or at least should exist. Thirdly, think of the jerseys!
TS20Designs | Tyler Stevenson @ts20designs
Now is as good a time as ever to post my NHL concepts I made a few years ago. The Utah Yeti pic.twitter.com/vnoGJX9vft
There aren’t a lot of no-brainers when it comes to decisions facing a new NHL franchise, but this feels like one. It’s fun, spooky, unique without trying too hard, and it appeals to potential merchandise-wearers across fanbases. This is it.
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