Utah Mammoth Faces Lawsuit Over Branding Dispute

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — The Utah Mammoth, the state’s NHL franchise, is embroiled in a legal battle over its branding with Oregon-based Mammoth Hockey LLC. The suit, filed in October, seeks a judicial review of whether the Utah team’s brand infringes on Mammoth Hockey’s rights.

The Utah Mammoth has invested approximately $7 million to establish its identity, which includes over $5 million on merchandise and $400,000 on team jerseys and gear. Fans have responded enthusiastically, generating $500,000 in merchandise sales by the end of September, according to team CFO John Larson.

In court documents, Larson stated that changing the team’s name and logo would destroy the goodwill the franchise has built, estimated at more than $100 million. He emphasized that adopting a new identity could cause irreparable harm, highlighting the extensive changes needed should an injunction be granted.

However, the lawsuit’s origins stemmed from Mammoth Hockey’s claims of consumer confusion around their high-end hockey bags. The Utah team argues that its inclusion of “Utah” and distinct branding elements — colors and fonts — create a clear difference from the Oregon company.

In response to the lawsuit, the Utah Mammoth labeled the request for an injunction as “misguided” and asserted that a market study showed only 0.7 percent of surveyed individuals reported confusion between the two brands.

Team president Chris Armstrong noted that the Oregon company initially endorsed the Utah team’s name. In a June 2024 Facebook post, Erik Olson, owner of Mammoth Hockey, mentioned a potential partnership. This earlier approval stands in contrast to their recent legal claims.

Armstrong also pointed out that other companies had concerns during the name selection process, leading the Utah Mammoth to discard several names, but Mammoth Hockey never raised objections at that time.

The dispute continues to unfold in federal court, with both parties presenting their arguments regarding the complexity of branding and market coexistence.