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The NHL Board of Governors has officially approved the relocation of the Arizona Coyotes franchise to Salt Lake City, Utah. New owner Ryan Smith indicated the team would likely take the ice in generic jerseys for their inaugural season before settling on an official Utah hockey team name.
As reported by ESPN's Greg Wyshynski, several potential names were trademarked and registered on Tuesday as domains for Utah hockey team names, anonymously, including Utah Blizzard, Utah Venom, Utah Fury, Utah HC and Utah Hockey Club.
These Utah hockey team names quickly drew reactions from hockey fans on social media:
"Horrible horrible 90's and 00's minor league names," one fan responded to the list.
The “Utah Blizzard” garnered particular attention, as many fans find it suitable for the new name for the team:
"Utah Blizzard kinda goes hard," another fan commented.
"Blizzard seems like a good name," one fan wrote.
Here are some more fan reactions to potential Utah hockey team names on X/Twitter:
"That's it, move the team back to Arizona," another fan wrote on X.
"How about in basketball give the JAZZ name back to New Orleans .. too," a user wrote.
"Utah Bandits?" one fan asked.
"Sound like my kids’ club soccer names," another fan wrote.
"Aren’t Avalanche and Blizzard a bit too samey?" a user wrote.
"If those are your options just call them the Utah Coyotes jesus," another user stated.
Of course, these may not be the final choices for the Utah hockey team names, as owner Ryan Smith hinted at a nondescript temporary name.
Paul Bissonnette reflects on Arizona Coyotes' relocation
The impending move of the Arizona Coyotes franchise to Salt Lake City left former player Paul Bissonnette emotional as the team likely played its final home game in Arizona on Wednesday.
In a 5-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers, the atmosphere in the arena was bittersweet for players, coaches and fans.
During an interview on the TNT broadcast, Bissonnette reflected fondly on his five seasons with the Coyotes organization:
"I thought maybe I was going to be there a month or two but got to spend five of the best years of my life, just living the dream of playing in the National Hockey League," he said. "I met so many incredible people there."
Paul Bissonnette reiterated his steadfast belief that hockey can thrive in Arizona under the right ownership:
"I know the hockey belongs in the desert, I know that it would be back there, I don't want the former owners who are there to be the ones to bring it back. I want people who appreciate the team and fans," he said emotionally.
Bissonnette lauded the passion and loyalty of Coyotes fans, who supported the team through years of uncertainty and mediocre results. In the end, the team ended their season with a 36-41-5 record.
