Utah Hockey Club Name: Officially Utah Mammoth Revealed

For one full hockey season, fans in Salt Lake City cheered for a team with no name. The Utah Hockey Club label served its purpose during the inaugural 2024-25 campaign, but everyone knew a permanent identity was coming. On May 7, 2025, Smith Entertainment Group pulled back the curtain: the franchise is now officially the Utah Mammoth, chosen through a fan vote that drew more than 850,000 submissions over four rounds of community polling (NHL.com).

New Name: Utah Mammoth · Reveal Date: May 7, 2025 · Previous Identity: Utah Hockey Club (temporary) · Former Team: Arizona Coyotes · Naming Process: Fan vote

Here is how the core facts stack up in tabular form, with figures drawn from official NHL announcements and verified reporting.

What will the Arizona Coyotes’ new name be?

The search for a permanent identity ended May 7, 2025, when the franchise officially became the Utah Mammoth. Smith Entertainment Group (SEG) selected the name after an unprecedented four-round fan voting process that drew more than 850,000 total submissions from the community. The mammoth prevailed over finalists Utah Hockey Club and Utah Outlaws in the final vote.

Owners Ryan and Ashley Smith revealed the choice after the conclusion of the 2024-25 season, honoring their commitment to let the team’s performance and fan response shape the conversation through the inaugural campaign.

Official reveal details

The announcement came via a coordinated reveal aligned with the culmination of community voting. The name Mammoth was among the final four options that owner Ryan Smith introduced on ESPN’s Pat McAfee Show, alongside Wasatch, Hockey Club, and Outlaws. The final round narrowed to three contenders after trademark considerations eliminated some candidates.

According to the official NHL.com announcement, the singular form “Mammoth” was deliberate—a choice reflecting the “all-for-one” spirit the franchise wanted to project rather than the plural.

Fan voting process

The voting process began when Ryan Smith solicited naming ideas directly on X (formerly Twitter) in spring 2024, generating an initial pool of 20 potential names. The first two rounds alone attracted over 750,000 votes. SEG then narrowed candidates to six finalists—including Mammoth, Blizzard, Hockey Club, Outlaws, Venom, and Yeti—before conducting in-arena voting at four home games starting against the Pittsburgh Penguins, with approximately 15,000 voters per game.

“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.”

— Ryan and Ashley Smith, Owners (Smith Entertainment Group)

Which NHL team was replaced by Utah?

Utah’s NHL franchise traces its roots to the Arizona Coyotes, who called the Phoenix metropolitan area home for 27 years before relocating. The franchise’s ownership history includes turmoil dating back to 1996, when the Winnipeg Jets relocated to Phoenix as the original Coyotes.

On April 18, 2024, the NHL Board of Governors unanimously approved the sale and relocation. SEG purchased the Arizona Coyotes contracts for $1.2 billion, with an additional $200 million relocation fee paid to former owner Alex Meruelo.

Relocation history

The move followed years of instability for the Coyotes, including failed arena negotiations and financial challenges. Sports Illustrated reported that SEG’s acquisition ended a tumultuous chapter for the franchise in Arizona while opening a new one in Utah’s capital.

SEG committed to positioning the team as a “community asset,” with community involvement embedded from the start—which explains why fan input drove the naming process.

Transition timeline

NHL prepared two parallel schedules for the 2024-25 season: one assuming the Coyotes remained in Arizona, the other for Utah. When the move was finalized, the league activated the Utah version. The franchise played its first game October 8, 2024, against the Chicago Blackhawks at the Delta Center, wearing the temporary Utah Hockey Club branding.

What this means: the franchise operated for an entire season without a permanent name, relying entirely on community patience and curiosity to fuel attendance and engagement during the identity limbo.

What does a Mammoth have to do with Utah?

The mammoth connection runs deep in Utah’s natural history. SEG chose the name to honor the state’s prehistoric past, specifically the Ice Age mammals that roamed the region roughly 10,000 years ago. Fossil evidence of mammoths has been discovered throughout Utah, including at sites that have contributed to paleontological research.

The branding deliberately invokes the state’s ancient heritage rather than a generic sports mascot, giving the franchise a distinctively Utah character from day one of the permanent identity.

Historical connection

According to the NHL.com announcement, the mammoth was selected because it connects directly to Utah’s fossil record—a unique angle that differentiates the team from other NHL franchises that draw from mythical creatures, weather phenomena, or urban references. The singular “Mammoth” reinforces an “all-for-one” team philosophy.

SEG’s approach treats the team name as a cultural artifact rather than a marketing slogan, tying the franchise’s identity to the land itself.

Fossil evidence

Paleontologists have documented mammoth remains at multiple Utah sites, and the state’s natural history museums feature mammoth fossils in their collections. The Utah Mammoth Museum Quest represents one initiative that has highlighted these specimens, making the connection between prehistoric fauna and the modern franchise a teachable moment for younger fans.

The pattern: SEG identified a genuinely distinctive local reference point—Utah’s actual paleontological record—that other NHL teams couldn’t claim, giving the Mammoth name both authenticity and exclusivity.

Why are they called Mammoth Club?

The Mammoth branding emerged from a competitive process that eliminated several candidates due to trademark conflicts. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office rejected “Utah Yetis” and other names before the final vote options were set. SEG had submitted all 20 initial names to USPTO, anticipating hurdles for Yeti and Hockey Club.

The final four contenders—Mammoth, Wasatch, Hockey Club, and Outlaws—represented names that cleared initial trademark screening, with Mammoth ultimately winning the fan vote.

Branding rationale

Chris Armstrong, President of Hockey Operations, explained the approach: “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.” The patience paid off—Mammoth resonated with voters drawn to its historical resonance.

The Wasatch name, which references the mountain range visible from Salt Lake City, was kept as a backup because it allows a mythical snow creature logo—a workaround for the rejected Yeti branding.

Legal challenges

ESPN reported that SEG navigated multiple trademark complications during the naming process, with Mike Maughan of SEG stating the team was “very confident we have a clear path to each of those names.” The franchise filtered goofy or legally problematic write-in candidates despite open submission periods.

The catch: a hockey bag manufacturer reportedly filed an injunction related to the “Mammoth” trademark, creating uncertainty around merchandise timelines. Whether this affects the full rebrand rollout remains unresolved.

Did mammoths ever exist in Utah?

Yes. Paleontological evidence confirms that mammoths inhabited Utah during the Ice Age, roughly 10,000 years ago. Fossil discoveries throughout the state—including at sites managed by Utah’s natural history museums—document the presence of these massive mammals in the region.

The franchise’s connection to genuine fossil evidence gives the Mammoth name scientific grounding rather than pure mythology, differentiating it from purely fantastical alternatives like Yeti or Venom.

Paleontological facts

Utah’s fossil record includes mammoth remains recovered from sedimentary formations across the state. Researchers have documented multiple species of mammoth in the region, with specimens displayed in major collections. The Utah Museum of Natural History has featured these fossils in public exhibits.

For fans visiting Salt Lake City, the connection offers educational programming opportunities—museum partnerships could include mammoth fossil tours tied to game-day events.

Museum exhibits

The Utah Mammoth Museum Quest and other local initiatives have showcased mammoth fossils, making the prehistoric connection accessible to families and school groups. The franchise could leverage these partnerships to create unique game-day experiences that reinforce the brand’s Utah roots.

The implication: SEG didn’t just pick a catchy animal name—they anchored the franchise in a verifiable local heritage that strengthens community identification with the team.

Timeline

• 1996: Winnipeg Jets relocate to Phoenix, becoming Arizona Coyotes
• April 18, 2024: NHL Board of Governors unanimously approves sale and relocation to Salt Lake City (Sports Illustrated)
• May 22, 2024: First round fan voting closes with 750,000+ votes cast (NHL.com Utah)
• October 8, 2024: Utah Hockey Club inaugural game vs. Chicago Blackhawks at Delta Center (Cronkite News)
• April 2025: In-arena voting begins at four home games vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL.com)
• May 7, 2025: Utah Mammoth unveiled as permanent name (NHL.com)

What they’re saying

“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.”

— Chris Armstrong, President of Hockey Operations (Smith Entertainment Group)

“We have an incredible team and we have very confident we have a clear path to each of those names.”

— Mike Maughan, Executive (Smith Entertainment Group)

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The freshly named Utah Mammoth drew attention in their recent clash with the Edmonton Oilers, whose projected lineup tonight keeps fans anticipating the next showdown.

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