It appears the search for the NHL’s Utah franchise name is down to four.
Owner Ryan Smith made a surprise appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on ESPN Wednesday to give a quick update on the progress and to share some of the favourites.
“We’ve got our four,” said Smith. “I think Mammoth is up there. Yeti is up there. I think a couple of other ones are up there. It should be good.”
Smith, co-founder of the survey company Qualtrics, released a survey asking fans to weight in on possible names. The survey included 20 options and asked fans to choose up to four.
The team will wear jerseys that display “UTAH” for its inaugural season, adopting its eventual name for a sophomore year.
Below is the full list of the potential names (all preceded by Utah):
Canyons
Fury
Mountaineers
Yeti
Mammoth
Blizzard
Swarm
Powder
Glaciers
Caribou
Blast
HC (Hockey Club)
Frost
Freeze
Outlaws
Venom
Squall
Black Diamonds
Ice
Hive
Per Smith Entertainment Group, the development of a logo, mascot, team colours and other branding elements will happen after a name is chosen.
McAfee initially called Smith to show off the Stanley Cup in the show’s studio, and the Utah owner couldn’t help but show his excitement suggesting his team would one day contend for it.
“We’re going to fill that thing full of diet Mountain Dew and all sorts of stuff,” Smith said.
The NHL Board of Governors officially approved the relocation of the Arizona Coyotes to Utah on April 13. The Coyotes played their final game at Mullett Arena on April 12.
