In an exciting announcement, Smith Entertainment Group revealed that the NHL team playing in Salt Lake City will now be known as the Utah Hockey Club. The long-awaited move was confirmed by Ryan Smith's company, which acquired the team formerly known as the Arizona Coyotes in April. The Utah Hockey Club will start competing in the fall of 2024-25 as part of the $1.2 billion sale closing.

Ryan Smith expressed his enthusiasm for the establishment of the new NHL franchise, stating, "Today is a monumental day for the state of Utah. We have a ton of work ahead of us, with the training camp set to start in less than 100 days, but we couldn't be more excited about what lies ahead." The NHL Commissioner, Gary Bettman, conveyed his delight and welcomed Utah to the league, offering his congratulations to Ryan and Ashley Smith, as well as the entire organization.

Although the final long-term identity of the team is yet to be determined, Utah Hockey Club unveiled their initial jerseys and logos, which will be used for the 2024-25 season. The team is currently running a fan voting campaign to select their name from six potential options: Blizzard, Mammoth, Outlaws, Venom, Yeti, and Utah Hockey Club (Utah HC). Voting will run through June 20.

The team's color scheme, featuring light blue, black, and white, will be a constant throughout its existence. The chosen colors, known as "mountain blue," "rock black," and "salt white," symbolize the sky, winter sports history, and the famous salt flats of Utah. The jerseys, one in black and the other in white, proudly display the word "UTAH" diagonally from left to right.

The Utah Hockey Club will be based at the Delta Center, a basketball arena located in downtown Salt Lake City. However, renovations will be needed in the forthcoming years to increase seating capacity and provide an unobstructed view of the ice. Commissioner Bettman reassured fans that these short-term issues will be promptly addressed by the new owners, commending their efforts thus far.

The team's inaugural on-ice appearance is set to take place later this month at the upcoming NHL draft in Las Vegas, where players selected by the Utah Hockey Club will don their new jerseys. Fans eagerly anticipate the start of the season, eagerly awaiting the puck drop in October.

With the establishment of the Utah Hockey Club, the state of Utah enters a new era of professional hockey, expanding its sports scene beyond the NBA's Utah Jazz. The arrival of NHL hockey in the state is met with overwhelming excitement and anticipation, signaling great things to come for both the team and its passionate fans.