Regarding the recent Tribune story by Alex Vejar, “When will Utah’s new NHL team have a name? Here’s what Ryan Smith says.”
I’m not from Utah but I’m a big hockey fan. When the Colorado Rockies NHL team moved to New Jersey when I was growing up there, they renamed them the Devils after local folklore. Many of us preferred the original Rockies name even though it did not fit the state’s geography. Just as the Utah Jazz name has other roots, the Los Angeles Lakers were previously named after Minnesota’s “ten thousand lakes” and the Indianapolis Colts were named after Baltimore’s high-stakes horse racing.
Ryan Smith’s ownership group is wise to wait before selecting a team identity — the bar is high based upon how well received the Las Vegas Golden Knights, Seattle Kraken, and Nashville Predators nicknames are among hockey fans. (There are also intellectual property considerations which could eliminate certain contenders.)
While Beehive State or snow-related references are all the “buzz” so far, there’s always a chance that sentiment swings back to that of the intelligent, rugged coyote.
Adam Silbert, New York