It’s time for another Utah Hockey Club mailbag. Sorry it took so long to get to the second one, but here we are. If you have a question about Utah HC or hockey in general, look out for my next mailbag request, which will hopefully come sooner than this one did.
Utah Hockey Club team name
First up, we have a question from @SuperMensch:
The team has not officially revealed next year’s team name, but it said that it’s clear what their fans want them to be called and that it’s now their job to make that happen. Reading between the lines has led a lot of people, including the person who asked this question, to believe that the name they’ve chosen is “Yeti” and that the team is working to secure the naming rights from Yeti, the cooler company.
This is consistent with the information I’ve received in my conversations with those involved in the naming process, though nobody has officially divulged that “Yeti” is the name in question. They have said, though, that it hasn’t been easy securing naming rights, and considering the team’s partnership with Stanley — one of Yeti’s main competitors — that would make sense.
Team executives have also said publicly that they won’t reveal the official name until this season has concluded.
If it’s not possible to call them the “Yeti,” they’ll choose one of the other names from their team naming survey: Blizzard, Mammoth, Outlaws, Venom or Hockey Club.
Similarly, the boys at Clean Hits ask, “What’s your favorite team nickname option and what designs would you like to see implemented for the logos/uniforms/branding?”
First, I’ll acknowledge the fact that my opinion doesn’t matter — I’m a nobody who writes about somebodies. But to answer the question, I like the cold weather theme, so I’d love to see “Yeti,” “Blizzard” or “Mammoth.”
If I could have any name, though, it would be one that never even made the top 20 list: “Wagon.” It would be a nod to Utah’s pioneer history while also using hockey slang to say that the team is good. It just sounds so good.
As far as branding goes, refer to my recent article, which features Utah HC president of hockey operations Chris Armstrong talking about next year’s branding.
Maveric Lamoureux injury status
Lamoureux is still with the team in Salt Lake City. His initial recovery projection has him returning as early as Dec. 27 and as late as Jan. 10. I’ve asked around to see if that’s still the plan and nobody has indicated that it’s not.
He took a puck to the hand in Utah’s game against the Montreal Canadiens on Nov. 26. He skated with the team in Utah on the 28th, but the next day, the team announced that he’d be out.
One player told me this week that Lamoureux still has a cast on his hand.
Utah Hockey Club trade deadline targets
I’ll kill two birds with one stone here. @LukeNomad and @MrEd315 asked similar questions, regarding roster additions for Utah HC.
I’d refer both of these gentlemen to my recent article where I talked about the team’s needs in the form of a Christmas wish list. The team could use everything on that list, but they likely won’t go out and get any of those pieces until it’s absolutely essential — just like they did with the Olli Määttä trade.
The trade market has been active this week, but almost all the teams involved are struggling. With Utah’s recent success, I think they’ll hold off on making moves unless something that’s too good to be true falls into their lap.
A question about me
Lastly, I have to include a question from Dino Costa, whom I’ve gotten to know this hockey season. He runs SLC Sports Radio, the new station in town, and he’s a great guy.
He’s asking whether the novelty of interviewing NHL players and getting to attend every game has worn off. The answer is no, and I hope it never does.
Here’s why.
I’ve wanted to work in hockey since I was 5 years old. It’s all I ever talked about as a kid, to the point where people probably thought there was something wrong with me. It’s been surreal getting to mingle with guys that I grew up watching (I met one of my all-time favorite players, Daniel Sedin, at the game on Wednesday — does it get any cooler than that?).
If I ever wake up one day and dread going to the rink, or if I ever find myself watching the clock, wishing the work day away, I’ll be extremely disappointed in myself. I’ve put a lot of work into making it happen and I continue to put in the work to make sure I can stay here. This is not a job that I take for granted and I hope it never is.