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Utah’s NHL team hit the ground running in its first season.
The Utah Hockey Club swung in the off-season by trading for top-pair defenseman Mikhail Sergachev and D-man John Marino, who recently returned from injury. They’re selling out all their unobstructed seats, and although they’re four points out of a wild-card spot, two points behind what the Arizona Coyotes had after 46 games last year, they have a bright future.
Considering how quickly they became an NHL franchise and received the Coyotes’ hockey assets, a lot has gone right for them – except when it comes to the franchise’s long-term name at the moment.
The Yeti (or Yetis) is the overwhelming favorite for Utah’s permanent team name, but this week, KSL.com’s Ryan Miller reported it’s not a simple snap of the finger that will permit Utah to go with the Yeti name.
The “Utah Yetis” trademark application has been refused due to a “likelihood of confusion.”
And that’s not the only application that’s been refused, either.
The team still has time, though, to make its case(s).
(h/t to @5kl)https://t.co/E0OlZckxY3
— Ryan Miller (@millerjryan) January 21, 2025
According to Miller, in a Jan. 9 “non-final action” decision, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office refused the trademark application for “Utah Yetis” for a decision based on the “likelihood of confusion” with the YETI brand of outdoor gear, mugs, and other items. And despite the NHL team’s application that, in theory, separates the hockey brand from the other brand by including “Utah” in the name or by making Yeti plural, it’s going to take more finessing in the weeks ahead to make Utah Yetis not just a concept but a reality.
There are many reasons why the Yeti is so popular as a potential NHL team name. Like the NHL’s Seattle Kraken, the Yeti name resonates with hockey fans and sports fans in a way no other team name has in Utah thus far. Not only does the Yeti name fit well for a city on the mountainside, but it’s just a lot of fun to say (phonetically, it’s an alliteration of sorts) and the legend of the Yeti – a wild beast in the wintry mountains – couldn’t be a better fit for Utah.
Related: Arizona Coyotes Vs. Utah Hockey Club: A Tale Of Two NHL Teams
The Utah Hockey Club wouldn’t be the first new franchise in the last decade to have a trademark issue with a team name, either.
The Vegas Golden Knights also had a…