The Reasons Behind This NHL Team’s New Name
The long wait is over as Utah’s NHL team finally has a permanent name and will now roam the rink as the Utah Mammoth. Utah Mammoth was selected by team fans over Utah Outlaws and another option to keep the Utah Hockey Club, which the franchise used during its inaugural season in Salt Lake City. Team owners Ryan and Ashley Smith said, “From day one, we committed that this team would be built with and for the people of Utah, and we are excited to celebrate today’s launch with the entire state. The community chose the Utah Mammoth brand, and it stands as a symbol of who we are, where we came from, and the unstoppable force we’re building together”. According to the Mammoth, over 850,000 people voted in a fan poll that began during the season. Along with the nickname, the team also unveiled its new logo and jerseys, which will continue to use the same colors as it did as the Utah Hockey Club.
The NHL established a new franchise in Utah on April 18, 2024, and Utah purchased the hockey assets of the Arizona Coyotes. The branding process of a professional sports team usually takes at least 18 months from design to trademark clearance. On a compressed timeline, Utah adopted the temporary identity of the Utah Hockey Club while working on the permanent identity with the design firm Doubleday & Cartwright.
Fans voted on names and logos. In the end, Utah Mammoth stomped the other finalists. “When it came to naming the team, we did something unprecedented -- going through four rounds of community voting, including getting feedback not only on potential names but also on potential logos,” the Smiths said. “We love the passion of the people of Utah and the way they showed up for the team during its inaugural season and the energy they brought to voting on its permanent identity.”
Mammoth fossils have been found throughout Utah in Bear Lake, Fillmore, Orem, Park City, Lake Powell, and most notably Huntington Canyon, where a complete mammoth skeleton was discovered in 1988. These massive, resilient creatures stood over 14 feet tall, weighed up to 22,000 pounds, and used their curved tusks to dig through snow, fend off predators, and thrive in Utah’s glacial terrain. Evidence suggests mammoths charged in herds at speeds exceeding 25 miles per hour, comparable to the speeds reached by the fastest skaters in the NHL. Speaking of skaters, Utah has a lot to look forward to on the ice, having resigned a rising goalie and having the fourth overall draft pick in the 2025 NHL Draft despite having a 3.1% chance of having the fourth pick and a 94.7% chance of having the 14th pick.
Announced today was a full suite of brand elements including the primary logo for the franchise, the Mountain Mammoth, along with secondary marks and the Utah Badge. The Mountain Mammoth logo captures the fierce power of the mammoth midcharge, tusks up, and ready to attack. Within the mark are nods to the state including the Wasatch Mountain Range and snow capped peaks that form the beast’s crown, the shape of Utah, which is subtly embedded in the mountain silhouette. The tusk curves to form a bold “U.” The secondary marks underscore the team’s identity and unwavering pride in the state and include the word “UTAH” with the Mammoth tusk embedded into the “U,” as well as the tusked “U” standing alone as a bold lettermark. The Utah Badge is a classic emblem inspired by the UTAH stair step design from the franchise’s inaugural season, paying homage to the history of hockey in the state and showcasing the club’s commitment to continuing to grow the game.
Fans won’t need to wait long to get their hands on new merchandise as the first items will be sold starting at Delta Center. Fan gear will also be available at the official online NHL Shop beginning on May 14th. The team will also hold merchandise drops and community events happening across the state this summer, with the first scheduled for May 17th at the SLC Sports Complex. Just a half hour after the announcement, crews at the Delta Center were already busy adding banners featuring the new team name.
