Utah Replaces 'Wasatch' Nickname Option With 'Outlaws' in Fan Vote

The "Utah Wasatch" didn't last long on the ballot for fans to vote on the Utah Hockey Club's next nickname.

It was effectively replaced with "Outlaws" on Thursday.

"We listened to your feedback and dug into all the Qualtrics data from last night's survey," the franchise said in a statement issued Thursday. "For the team name, it's clear that Outlaws should be in the mix instead of Wasatch, so we're swapping it out."

Read more: Fan-Favorite Utah Nickname Rejected by US Patent and Trademark Office

Utah announced on Wednesday that it would leave the choice up to fans with on-site voting over the course of the next four home games. The other two choices being the "Mammoth" or remaining with "Utah Hockey Club" in perpetuity.

This was after the name "Yetis" or "Yeti" was taken out of the running because of patent conflicts with Yeti Coolers LLC.

The franchise attempted to pull off a "coexistence agreement," but ultimately failed.

"Wasatch" emerged as a fresh name choice that wasn't in the initial list of 20 options that fans saw in the offseason. It was inspired by a nearby mountain range, and would provide the opportunity to feature a "mythical snow hill creature in the form of a Yeti" as the team's mascot.

This idea was shared by Mike Maughan from Smith Entertainment Group, who also mentioned that the Yeti mascot could be retained if the team decides to stick with the Utah Hockey Club name.

Fans got their first chance to vote at the Delta Center during Wednesday's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins and they made their opinions clear in an outcry that "Outlaws" should be considered over "Wasatch."

Ownership does not have any concerns that the selected name will have any unexpected hiccups with the patent and trademark process.

"We have an incredible team, and we are very confident we have a clear path to each of those names," Maughan said. "We have strategies to approach each of them and feel that we're on very solid ground as we continue forward."

The Utah Hockey Club, currently 21-21-8, is debuting its inaugural season in Salt Lake City. In April 2024, the Arizona Coyotes' franchise was purchased by Smith Entertainment Group, the owners of the Utah Jazz. As part of the deal, SEG took over the team's roster and hockey operations, but the club is being treated as a fresh franchise rather than a continuation of the Coyotes' legacy.

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