SALT LAKE CITY — Hockey fans who would like to be immortalized in Utah sports history should fire up their creative noodles and hit the proverbial ice.
Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith, who has made no secret of his desire to bring an NHL team to the Beehive State, is looking for suggestions on what to name the club.
In a social media post Monday, Smith asked, "If an NHL team were to come to Utah, what should we name it?" He included a link to a form where fans can submit a nickname.
In the post, several people shared some of the following suggestions:
- Yeti
- Blizzard
- Olympians
- Grizzlies (a certain ECHL team may take issue)
- Brine Shrimp
- Roughriders
- Pioneers
- Red Rocks
- Black Diamonds
- Saints
One fan, Tyler Stevenson, responded with some pretty cool designs.
In February, the Smith Entertainment Group shared renderings of what a proposed arena that could house both the NHL and Jazz would look like in Salt Lake City.
Gov. Spencer Cox signed a bill passed in the recent Utah Legislative session that will help fund a new arena, as well as a baseball stadium for a possible MLB franchise.
A report at the beginning of the year said a move by the NHL to Utah was "inevitable." A lot could hinge on whether the Arizona Coyotes are able to move forward with an arena plan of their own. Should their efforts fail, Salt Lake City is seen as a likely landing spot for that team's relocation.
