The Utah Hockey Club had a relatively successful first season in Utah, and president of hockey operations Chris Armstrong made news at the end-of-season exit interviews when he confirmed that a permanent team name will be announced “in the coming months”.
While there was a sense for some that the organization is moving away from the “Utah Hockey Club” name, we’re of the opinion it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if Utah chose to keep the “Utah Hockey Club” name.
Now, don’t get it twisted – the “Utah Hockey Club” and/or “Utah HC” name isn’t our first choice for the team. That would still be the “Utah Yeti”, although we’re fully aware copyright issues prevent that name from being used. “Utah Hockey Club” wouldn’t be our second choice either. That would be the “Utah Outlaws”, which we like in part because of the rhyming elements of the name. And we also see the appeal in “Utah Venom” and “Utah Mammoth”. But under no circumstances should it be “Utah Blizzard”. Any team named after a Dairy Queen confection should lose in perpetuity.
That said, “Utah Hockey Club” is certainly unique. You don’t see a “(Name Of City Here) Baseball Club” in Major League Baseball, nor do you see a “(Name Of State Or Province Here) Basketball Club” in the NBA. Although Utah’s current team name was born out of necessity, it’s grown on us – and there are far worse team names out there, including the MLB’s Cleveland Guardians (sounds like an insurance company) and the NFL’s Washington Commanders (sounds like a jazz club).
So yes, we’d ultimately be fine if Utah went with the “Utah Hockey Club” name. But if we had our way, we’d still be trying to figure out how Utah could finalize an agreement that would allow the organization to use the Yeti name. We understand that the drinkware company Yeti has the intellectual property for the Yeti name, but somehow, other multi-million-dollar companies have settled on sharing a name.
For instance, the NFL’s New York Jets and NHL’s Winnipeg Jets have the same name, while the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals and MLB’s St. Louis Cardinals also share a name. In that sense, it would be great PR for the Yeti drinkware company to benefit from a Utah Yeti name, especially if the Utah Yeti had its own distinguishing imagery.
Still, if there’s no way a “Utah Yeti” can happen, the “Utah Hockey Club” might wind up being a winning choice after all. With one year under its belt with that name, you’ve already got a sense of familiarity working in its favor. And in a business where creativity is the name of the game, going with a straightforward moniker like the “Utah HC” is original enough to go with over the long haul.
In any case, we’re going to find out soon what Utah’s choice is for its name. But regardless of just about any choice they make – and again, we think we can all agree that “Utah Blizzard” is a non-starter for this franchise – the Utah hockey group will get a major boost from fans looking to invest in new merchandise for the team.
The on-ice success for the Utah Hockey Club wasn’t quite at the level fans, management and ownership were hoping for in Year 1 of the franchise’s operation, but in every other regard, the first year was a terrific success for all involved with Utah’s hockey team. And that success is going to carry over into Year 2 and beyond once the permanent team name is unveiled.
Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.