After moving from Arizona to Utah, the NHL’s newest team is looking for a new name. Formerly the Coyotes, the move to Salt Lake City comes with a facelift, as new owners Ryan and Ashley Smith also bring in a new marketing strategy complete with a new mascot. What exactly that looks like is still up in the air, and there are even rumors that the team might operate as the “Utah Hockey Team.” That’s lame, to tell you the truth, especially compared to an iconic name like the Red Wings, or even the newest NHL mascots in the Kraken and the Golden Knights. So, we at THN Detroit sat down to pitch some names for the Smiths to take free of charge. They range from animals to attributes, weather to natural wonders. And every single one of them is better than the Utah Hockey Team. Utah Cougars This might feel too similar to BYU, but the cougar is one of the fiercest and most intelligent animals in the Utah ecosystem. This would be the eighth NHL franchise to have an animal mascot — real or mythical — in the NHL. Utah Sting Utah’s state emblem is the beehive, and its state astronomical symbol is the beehive inside the Cancer constellation. Naming Utah’s hockey team the sting would pay homage to apiculture. Utah Blizzard This name is one of the eight names for which Utah’s ownership filed trademark rights [https://thehockeynews.com/news/from-hockey-club-to-yetis-ranking-eight-potential-utah-nhl-team-names], alongside the Venom, Fury, Utah Hockey Club, Yetis, Outlaws, Mammoth and Ice. Blizzard — I’d call them the Blizz — could be a nice foil to the Colorado Avalanche who are located just east in the United States’ four corners states. Utah Yeti OK, this isn’t the most original because it’s a name that the organization already filed a trademark for. But, they made a mistake. “Yetis” sound awful when you say it out loud, just like Krakens or Avalanches. Add a little aura with a singular Yeti, and come up with a cool mascot. Utah Coyotes Maybe less is more. Maybe the NHL can find a way for former Arizona Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo to give up the Coyotes name IP and give it to the Utah org. They’re an abundant animal in Utah, too, and the players are certainly familiar with it. Utah Rattlers Venom is an alright concept for a name, but let’s hit the snake allusions right on the head. The Rattlers references the many types of rattlesnakes that live in Utah, including the Mojave, speckled and sidewinder varieties. Plus, the NHL doesn’t have a snake mascot, and that seems like a miss that should be rectified. Utah Copper Miners Copper mining is a huge industry in Utah, and this mascot name would honor that way of life. Mining as a whole contributed $7.7 billion to the Utah state GDP [https://geology.utah.gov/energy-and-mining-industries-contributed-over-10-to-utahs-total-gross-domestic-product/]. Would NHL revenue count as part of that if they named this team the Copper Miners? Absolutely not, but it would be funny. Utah Meadow Voles OK, this is super specific, but what’s cooler than a Meadow Vole? I mean look at these guys [https://www.wil-kil.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/meadow-vole.jpg]. Who wouldn’t want to rep that on a jersey. Plus, they’ll have a ton of fans when they go to Nashville, as the Tennessee Volunteers out in Knoxville already chant “Go Vols!” For all the hockey team knows, they’ve been fans from the start. ALSO FROM THN DETROIT Red Wings Coach Derek Lalonde, Goalie Coach Alex Westlund to Join Team USA Staff for Men's Worlds [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/latest-news/red-wings-coach-derek-lalonde-goalie-coach-alex-westlund-to-join-team-usa-staff-for-mens-worlds] What Did We Learn About the Red Wings During Larkin's Injury? [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/players/what-did-we-learn-about-the-red-wings-during-larkins-injury] Whether Daniel Sprong Returns or Not, Signing Should be Replicated [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/latest-news/whether-daniel-sprong-returns-or-not-signing-should-be-replicated] Pros and Cons of a Simon Edvinsson and Moritz Seider Defense Pairing [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/latest-news/pros-and-cons-of-a-simon-edvinsson-and-moritz-seider-defense-pairing-] Two Red Wings Named to Team USA Roster for World Championships [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/latest-news/two-red-wings-named-to-team-usa-roster-for-world-championships] Seider and Raymond's Contracts, Kane Pessimism, Defensive Improvements, and a Messy Relocation : The Silky Mitten State Episode 23 [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/latest-news/seider-and-raymonds-contracts-kane-pessimism-defensive-improvements-and-a-messy-relocation-the-silky-mitten-state-episode-23] The Case for a Long-Term Raymond Extension
