SALT LAKE CITY — Opening night for the Utah Hockey Club is just weeks away, but even the team admits there's no secret as to what fans are most interested in knowing about the franchise.
"I knew that was probably going to be the first question," said team president Chris Armstrong at Wednesday's media day.
The question? What will the team eventually be called?
Since the team's spring arrival, local fans have had a say in determining a nickname through a drawn out voting process.
"It's exciting that the fans in the state, it's kind of up to them, right? So, we're eager to see what they pick and whatever the team name is, I'll be proud to wear that jersey," said left wing Lawson Crouse.
The final six finalists were unveiled over the summer, including the current name, along with Blizzard, Mammoth, Outlaws, Venom and Yeti.
It appears there's already an answer.
"It's been very clear to us what our fans would like us to be called," Armstrong admitted, "and so now it's a matter of trying to explore exhaustively all avenues to try to deliver that to our fans."
Utah Hockey Club
Snow inside Delta Center? Better views? How UHC aims to improve fan experience
But even among the team's top brass, executives are keeping tight-lipped about the new nickname.
"That's above my pay grade," joked general manager Bill Armstrong, no relation to Chris. "I'll tell you this, and what I've said from the get go is that I love the way they've done it because it gives the fans the kids that are eight years old a chance to vote online for the name of the team, and I love that."
Chris Armstrong said the entire process is a complicated one from a legal and intellectual property perspective, and the team is in the process of determining what is achievable.
Even as the state waits to learn the team's real nickname, players were already enormously proud to represent Utah when they participated in last weekend's Rookie Showcase outside Los Angeles.
"We put our white jerseys on. There is a simplicity of Utah across the front and it was spectacular for us to put that jersey on," said Bill Armstrong. "It meant a lot for our players to be the first to do that and go to that rookie tournament; but just the simplicity of the jersey, the colors are spectacular for us.
"Just the way it is is almost perfect for us."
