Salt Lake City’s NHL franchise has officially been named the Utah Mammoths. Owners Ryan and Ashley Smith revealed the permanent team name on Wednesday after over a year of fan involvement and voting.
They stated, “Since the beginning, this team aimed to be built with the people of Utah, and we are thrilled to launch this brand statewide. The Utah Mammoth symbolizes our identity, origins, and the powerful forces we create together.”
The name Mammoth replaces the temporary “Utah Hockey Club,” which was one of the three finalists. Another finalist, Yeti, was dropped because the cooler company owning the name did not sign a copyright agreement with the team’s owners. The option Wasatch, referencing the state’s mountain range, was also removed in favor of Outlaws previously.
The main Utah Mammoth logo features a mammoth shaped with the Utah mountains integrated, using the state’s “U” form and prominent curved tusks. The team colors remain black, light blue, and white. Notably, Utah’s large fossils discovered in 1988, including the Huntington Canyon skeleton, inspired the team’s rally cry, “Tusks Up.”
This summer is an exciting time for Utah, holding the fourth pick in the NHL draft, starting the first phase of arena renovations, and having over $20 million in salary cap space for trades and free agent signings. With young stars like Captain Clayton Keller, forward Logan Cooley, Stanley Cup winner Mikhail Sergachev, and promising goalie Karel Bezimerka, the Mammoths are poised to contend for a playoff spot next season.
While the team has only updated their display name on platforms like X (formerly Twitter), they have publicly shared official designs of their home and away jerseys. This change comes less than 13 months after Smith Entertainment Group purchased the Arizona Coyotes from former owner Alex Melero and relocated the franchise to Salt Lake City. The Coyotes had played in Phoenix since moving from Winnipeg in 1996.
Fan Take: The Utah Mammoths’ official naming brings fresh energy and identity to an NHL team with deep community involvement, signaling positive momentum for hockey in a new market. This rebranding and the influx of young talent promise an exciting future that could significantly boost the sport’s popularity and growth in Utah and beyond.
