The Arizona Coyotes were unable to secure a deal for a new area in the Phoenix area, so they are headed to Utah. Salt Lake City has been the home to the Utah Jazz of the NBA since that franchise relocated in 1979, and now they will have a yet-to-be named NHL franchise.
Jazz is an obvious holdover from that team’s days in New Orleans, as are a few other team names currently in existence. The Los Angeles Lakers were originally named for Minnesota’s lakes, and the Los Angeles Dodgers were named for Brooklyn residents who had to dodge trolleys to get to the team’s original ballpark.
If team nicknames that don’t make regional sense can remain in place, surely so could Coyotes.
Instead, a rebranding in Utah is underway. Fans can vote on the nickname of the new Utah franchise, and sports bettors can wager on which name will ultimately win.
Utah Blizzard (+275)
The other NHL team in the Rocky Mountain region is the Colorado Avalanche, and their new neighbors are thinking of also embracing a mountain-themed nickname, the Utah Blizzard. Plus, a future sponsorship with Dairy Queen becomes an almost certainty.
“When the Blizzard score 5 goals or more, get your free small Blizzard at participating stores.”
A number of possible names have been trademarked, and Utah Blizzard is one of them.
Utah Venom (+300)
Utah Venom is also one of the trademarked names, and you can already picture the possible imagery. Snakes, scorpions, any of the creepy crawlers found in the bottom of your sleeping bag while camping in Utah are a possibility.
Venom is a lightly used nickname across sports, with American Indoor Football’s Amarillo Venom its most prominent user.
Utah Fury (+500)
Outside of St. Louis Community College-Florissant Valley, there doesn’t appear to be any other Furys in existence. It’s generic enough that if the team decides to go with either Utah or Salt Lake City as its first name, Fury will still work. It also creates a natural nickname for the fanbase – The Furious.
Utah Yetis (+700)
We have the Seattle Kraken, so why not embrace another mythical character and call them the Utah Yetis. Sorry to all you believers, but Yetis, also known as the Abominable Snowman, do not exist outside of faked footprints, Monsters, Inc., and Bumble the Abominable Snowman in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
Yeti outdoor gear is a real thing, and would happily become a sponsor.
Utah Black Diamonds (+1500)
The state of Utah is very proud of its alpine skiing, so much so that it trademarked the phrase, “Greatest Snow on Earth.”
Utah Black Diamonds is an obvious nod to its skiing industry, and it would allow for black to be used as a primary color for all team gear, which would help its sales.
Utah Shredders (+2000)
A shredder could be a guitarist. But in this instance, we are sure the hockey powers that be are referring to snowboarders. Black Diamonds is the betting favorite among the ski and snowboarding nicknames, but Utah Shredders is in the mix.
Utah HC (+2500)
Taking a nod from soccer teams all across the globe, Utah HC is in the running and has been trademarked. They’ve also added Utah Hockey Club to the list for those who won’t immediately recognize the abbreviation.
Many NFL fans wish the Washington Commanders had remained the Washington Football Team, and no doubt similar minded hockey fans will be rooting for HC to win the vote.
Utah Golden Eagles (+3000)
The team immediately to the south and west of Utah is the Vegas Golden Knights, which makes it hard to picture another “Golden” anything becoming a nickname so geographically close to Las Vegas.
Utah Golden Eagles is a longshot.
Just “Utah” For 2024-25
The team has decided that next season they will just have “Utah” on their jerseys. Once they have a nickname in place, they don’t want to rush the design of logos, mascots, color schemes, and other brandings. It also will require league approval before they can move forward, so the plan is to debut the finished product for the 2025-26 season.
With over 25 years of experience as a distinguished sports writer for renowned platforms such as Fox Sports and ESPN, Kyle Garlett is a sports betting specialist who has been at the forefront of documenting the global surge in sports betting and online gaming. Based in Denver, Colorado, Kyle hosts an NFL betting YouTube show and podcast. Kyle also has two sports books published by HarperCollins.
Kyle graduated the Azusa Pacific University in 1996 with a B.A. Degree in Communication and Journalism.
