Hopeful NHL owner asked fans to name Utah team and they delivered

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Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith formally asked the NHL to initiate the expansion process and bring a team to Salt Lake City back in January. Now he’s already taking name suggestions.

Smith took to X on Monday to ask fans what they think an appropriate name for a franchise in Salt Lake City would be. And they did not hold back.

“If an NHL team were to come to Utah, what should we name it?” the billionaire businessman asked his social media followers, linking to an online survey.

With the internet being what it is, the replies ranged from raunchy and silly to catchy and clever.

Here are a few standouts.

Graphic designer Tyler Stevens came prepared with four separate names, logos, and jersey designs, which included the Utah Yeti and Salt Lake City Stags.

Another suggested the “Salt Lake City Stingers” since Utah is known as the “Beehive State.”

More mock-up jerseys were provided in the lengthy thread. One of which bore the name “Salt Lake Loons.”

Alternatively, a large number of people seem to be in favour of calling the club the “Salt Lake Golden Eagles,” a callback to a minor professional hockey team based in Salt Lake City from 1969 to 1994.

Along with a few great prospects, there were plenty of tongue-in-cheek submissions as well.

On a less serious note, one user proposed the name “Polygamists,” a nod to the state’s decriminalization of the controversial practice.

Another sarcastically pitched “Dolphins” since the Jazz already have a name that’s not tied to the region.

One suggestion referenced the state fossil, which is a bit of a mouthful.

The “69ers” was also proposed for… historical reasons.

While nothing is set in stone just yet, there is growing excitement for professional hockey in Salt Lake City.

Smith has revealed that SEG has been in discussions with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman “since early 2022” about a possible expansion team in Utah. And just last month, state legislators approved a bill that creates the possibility of building a new, mixed-use arena in downtown Salt Lake City

With that said, other cities are still interested.

Representatives of the Houston and Atlanta groups are also expected to soon meet with the NHL, as per a Monday report from Kevin Weekes.

Meanwhile, Eric Girard, Quebec’s minister of finance, was in New York City last Tuesday for a meeting with Bettman, marking a sign of hope for local hockey fans.

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