Utah NHL Team Drops ‘Yeti’ Name, Fans to Vote on New Identity

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — The Utah Hockey Club will not move forward with “Yeti” or “Yetis” as its team nickname, opting instead to hold an in-arena fan vote to select a new name. The decision comes after the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office rejected the team’s application for “Utah Yetis” due to trademark conflicts with Yeti Coolers LLC. The team expects to announce its permanent name and identity before the 2025-26 NHL season.

Fans attending the next four home games at Delta Center will have the opportunity to vote on three name options: Utah Hockey Club, Utah Mammoth, and Utah Wasatch. The voting process will utilize tablets stationed around the arena, with an estimated 15,000 fans participating per game. The team has also introduced two logo options, including a “mountain defender” design that could accompany either Utah Hockey Club or Utah Wasatch.

“It has always been our intention to let our season one identity as Utah Hockey Club, the team’s performance, and the amazing response from our fans hold the conversation through our inaugural season,” said Chris Armstrong, the team’s president of hockey operations.

The decision to drop “Yeti” follows extensive negotiations with Yeti Coolers LLC, which holds strong trademarks for the name. “We engaged deeply with Yeti Cooler Company and worked with them over a process to see if there was some coexistence agreement that we could engage with them on,” said Mike Maughan of Smith Entertainment Group. “They have a unique and strong trademark on anything published Yeti or Yetis. We did not have a coexistence agreement with Yeti and therefore have decided to move on from that name.”

Utah Wasatch, a new option, references the state’s Wasatch mountain range and allows the team to incorporate a mythical snow creature as its mascot. The name was not included in the initial 20 options presented to fans last year but has been added as a replacement for “Yeti.”

The team’s naming process has been highly participatory, with fans submitting over 750,000 votes in earlier rounds. Smith Entertainment Group, which purchased the Arizona Coyotes franchise in April 2024, has emphasized community involvement in shaping the team’s identity. “We have an incredible team, and we are very confident we have a clear path to each of those names,” Maughan said. “We have strategies to approach each of them and feel that we’re on very solid ground as we continue forward.”

Fan voting will begin during Tuesday night’s game against the visiting team. The Utah Hockey Club is in its first season in Salt Lake City after relocating from Arizona. The team is considered a new franchise rather than an extension of the Coyotes’ legacy.