Ryan Smith discloses fans' major role in establishment of new NHL Utah franchise's name

By Abhishek Dilta

Modified Apr 23, 2024 12:00 GMT

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Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith has shared fans' role in determining the new name for the NHL Utah franchise through a fan voting process.

Last week, the NHL Board of Governors gave the green light for a new NHL Utah franchise, based in Salt Lake City. The new franchise will incorporate the hockey assets of the former NHL team, the Arizona Coyotes.

It's worth noting that the team's name, logo, and colors are still under wraps; it's been confirmed that the team will represent the state of Utah rather than the city of Salt Lake City.

Ryan Smith recently appeared on the "Pat McAfee Show" to discuss the NHL coming to Utah. During the show, Smith said that they plan to run a bracket-style competition to choose the new name for NHL Utah.

The bracket will start with eight options and narrow down to the final name through fan voting (via The Salt Lake Tribune):

“We’re going to do a bracket,” Smith said during his appearance. “We’ve engaged Qualtrics — I know how to handle the AI bots, we’re good — and Doubleday & Cartwright. I think we’re going to take this down from, like eight, all the way down, and the fans are going to vote for this. It should be good.”

During the period when Smith was in the process of acquiring the team, he posted on X and invited fans to provide their suggestions for the name of the NHL Utah franchise.

Many individuals have already engaged in social media in recent weeks, sharing their suggestions not only for names but also for logos and color schemes for the team's uniform.

According to Alex Vejar of The Salt Lake Tribune, more details about how fans can participate in choosing the NHL Utah name will be unveiled at a fan event at Delta Center on Wednesday.

More details on the NHL Utah franchise fan event

The fan event is going to be free and will start at 4 p.m. ET. Smith also confirmed that Coyotes coach Andre Tourigny and GM Bill Armstrong will also attend the event.

The event will provide fans with numerous opportunities to interact with the new team. Two lucky fans will be chosen to watch an upcoming NHL or Utah Jazz game.

Fans will also be able to get two season tickets for the upcoming 2024-25 season. Signed jerseys from new players and a trip for an away National Hockey League game are also included.

The NHL team in Utah will debut next season in the league. It will represent the Central Division of the West and will play their home games at Delta Center.