Utah HC is officially down to six name finalists

This summer the NHL has fast-tracked an NHL franchise to Salt Lake City, Utah beginning next season. With that in mind, the owner of the new franchise Ryan Smith put out a poll asking what the franchise should be called. Now six finalists have come back and a second round of voting will begin.

With voting closing June 20th one has to wonder if the Utah franchise is trying to have a team name, logo, and jersey prepared for the beginning of next season. Initial reports indicated they would be Utah HC for the first season. However, with the pace they are moving at that could change.

As of now the fan favorites to end up being the name are the Blizzard, Yeti, and Mammoth. All have a winter theme and two bring a new animal or creature into the mix while the Blizzard would take an approach like the Carolina Hurricanes.

With less than a month until the voting closes we will likely get a new name by the time free agency begins on July 1st. It will be fun to see if once the name is announced they will begin using it right away or wait until all of the official branding is put together.