A player taking a shot on a clean sheet of ice.
Fans will ultimately choose the name of the club in Utah. Shutterstock

Newest NHL franchise could have familiar name to pickleball fans

DALLAS, TX - When you think of the Utah Black Diamonds, what comes to mind?

A Major League Pickleball Premier-level team owned by the Pardoe family, right?

Well, the Utah Black Diamonds could soon be the official name of the state’s new NHL franchise, too.


It’s currently one of the 20 names under consideration in a poll being conducted by the Smith Entertainment Group (SEG), which owns the franchise that will play at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City come the fall.

The first round of voting will run until May 22, and fans can choose their top four options. Each fan can only vote once. Click here to participate in the poll.


The other names under consideration are: Utah Mammoth, Utah Venom, Utah Blizzard, Utah Swarm, Utah Ice, Utah Freeze, Utah HC, Utah Fury, Utah Mountaineers, Utah Blast, Utah Powder, Utah Frost, Utah Squall, Utah Canyons, Utah Yeti, Utah Caribou, Utah Hive, Utah Outlaws, and Utah Glaciers.

“Utah’s NHL franchise will don jerseys that display UTAH during their inaugural season (2024-25),” explained SEG. “Once the team name has been selected, SEG will work diligently to craft the team identity – logo, mascot, colors, and other branding elements – which will debut for the 2025-26 NHL season.”

Stay tuned.

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