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SALT LAKE CITY — It's no secret that Utah Jazz governor Ryan Smith wants to bring the National Hockey League to Utah, which could play in a new downtown arena.
But one of the biggest unknowns is what the team would be called should Utah land a team. That's something Smith is now looking to answer.
Smith Entertainment Group launched a survey on Monday, asking fans for a proposed NHL team name for Utah. Some favorites suggested on social platform X, include Blizzard, Eagles, Hive, Pioneers, Snowcats, Swarm and Yeti.
The question was posted at an interesting time for the Arizona Coyotes, which also fueled online speculation about any ties Smith has with the team. Alex Meruelo, the team's owner, has spoken to "multiple" potential buyers inside and outside of Arizona, Arizona Sports reported last week.
That report came as the team has struggled to find a new arena. Voters in Tempe, Arizona, rejected three propositions last year that would have set up a $2.3 billion entertainment district in the Phoenix suburb. And while the team unveiled renderings of a similar type of district in another part of the Phoenix area last week, the plan hinges on winning an auction for 110 acres of state land.
Scottsdale Mayor David Ortega, who represents a city close to where the state land is located, roasted the proposed plan on Monday.
"The proposed Phoenix version, bordering Scottsdale, was presented without mention of market demand for a new entertainment venue disguised as a hockey arena, or congested highway access or questionable arena zoning entitlement," he wrote in a statement, which was obtained by KPNX. "The glitzy proposal was portrayed as the last gasp to keep hockey in Arizona."
Others recommended on X that Smith keep the name Coyotes should the team relocate to Utah.
Of course, Smith Entertainment Group will have its own battle over a future hockey arena. Gov. Spencer Cox signed SB272 last month, setting up a "Capital City Revitalization Zone." However, what is included in the zone has yet to be decided and the Salt Lake City Council has not yet voted on whether to adopt a sales tax rate of up to 0.5% in the district to help fund improvements, such as a new arena for the Utah Jazz and an NHL team.
Mike Maughan, a representative of Smith Entertainment Group, said last month that the company expected to spend "billions" of private funds on the new arena and other downtown investments. He added SEG would "cross that bridge when we get there" if the city voted against the tax measure.
That could be sorted out in the coming months.
Perhaps a proposed team name will be known by the time that's all determined.
