The Utah Hockey Membership needed to pivot in its seek for a reputation after it hit a significant roadblock.
The group, which relocated from Phoenix to Utah earlier than the 2024-25 NHL season, had its trademark software for Utah Yetis rejected by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Workplace earlier this month due to a priority customers could also be confused with the Yeti cooler model.
And makes an attempt to enter right into a co-existence settlement with the corporate failed, forcing the group to search out one other identify as a substitute, an government with the group stated throughout a press convention on Wednesday.
“We have engaged with Yeti coolers extensively. The NHL has also helped engage with us with them,” Smith Leisure Group government Mike Maughan stated. “Their leadership made the decision that they didn’t want to have that co-existence agreement. …They have a unique trademark that allows them to prevent the use of the word Yeti or Yetis.”
The larger situation for the group was the branded merchandise.
The USPTO does enable for an enchantment inside three months of an software for a trademark being rejected, however the delay would make it exhausting to have every little thing able to go for the launch of a brand new model.
“The name of the team is one thing, but it’s all of the merch, all of the clothing, the pucks and the mini sticks and all of those things. It’s a little hard to launch a brand if you don’t have all of that stuff ready to go,” Maughan stated. “Because Yeti coolers determined that they did not want to enter into a co-existence agreement, it put those things on hold and we decided to move on from the name Yeti.”
The group will flip to its followers to assist discover one other new identify with the ultimate three names within the working being Utah Hockey Membership, Utah Mammoth and Utah Wasatch.
Fan voting will happen over the subsequent 4 residence video games and solely these bodily at a recreation on the Delta Middle will be capable to take part within the vote.
Followers will use iPads at stations arrange all through the Delta Middle to reply a brief survey on the potential identify.
The group will employees two folks at every iPad station to make sure secrecy in regards to the particular particulars of the choices.
