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

Were Utahns really interested in a team?

Where would the team practice?

Could the Delta Center house two different franchises?

What are partial ice view seats?

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

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

Fan votes for Utah’s NHL team name

During the Arizona Coyotes’ move to Utah, it became clear that the team’s news owners would not have enough time to rebrand the franchise before the 2024-2025 NHL season began.

According to NHL.com, it typically takes about 18 months for a team to design a new logo, secure the 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 would be able to voice their opinions on potential new team names through a multi-part survey.

When the Utah hockey team name survey launched 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 had emerged as the top contenders after receiving 60% of the votes cast, as the Deseret News previously reported.

• Snowstorm in Utah.

• Utah HC (hockey club).

• Utah Mammoth.

• Utah Outlaws.

• Utah gif.

• Utah Yeti.

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

Utah hockey team name options

The Utah Hockey team name for the 2024-2025 season, Utah Hockey Club or Utah HC, made it to the final round of fan voting, but that doesn’t mean it’s the frontrunner.

That distinction applies to Utah Yeti, as members of the franchise continue to refer to it, as the Deseret News has reported.

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

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

The jerseys are white, black and light blue and feature an ‘inaugural season’ patch.

Utah hockey mascot

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

But for the 2024-2025 NHL season, the team will borrow the Jazz Bear from the Utah Jazz, according to a social media announcement from the Utah Hockey Club.

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