NHL news: Utah Hockey Club to debut for inaugural season

Utah Hockey Club will be the name of the NHL team playing its games in Salt Lake City beginning this fall, with a long-term identity still to come.

Smith Entertainment Group announced the move Thursday and unveiled the initial logos and jerseys that will be used in 2024-25 in concert with the US$1.2 billion sale closing. Ryan Smith’s company, which also owns the NBA’s Utah Jazz, bought the team formerly known as the Arizona Coyotes in April.

There is no timeline on when permanent branding and logos will be revealed, following a fan vote that runs through June 20. The six finalists are Blizzard, Mammoth, Outlaws, Venom, Yeti and keeping the name Utah Hockey Club, or Utah HC.

One constant will be the colour scheme of light blue, black and white that is expected to last. It was chosen to complement the Jazz’s “Mountain Basketball” purple.