'Utah Yetis' refused by trademark office as NHL team name - ESPN

Utah Hockey Club said it still expects to announce a permanent name and identity before the 2025-26 NHL season despite having «Utah Yetis» refused by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

«Since acquiring Utah's NHL team, we have been carefully evaluating possibilities for the permanent identity of the team, while working within the complicated world of trademarks and intellectual property,» president of hockey operations Chris Armstrong said in a statement Thursday.

As first reported by Ryan Miller of KSL.com in Utah, the USPTO rejected a trademark application from the team for «Utah Yetis» because of the «likelihood of confusion» for consumers to other companies and brands that use the name.

In a memo dated Jan. 9, the USPTO wrote that the word «Utah» is generic descriptor that «renders the wording 'YETIS' as the more dominant element of the mark.»

The patent office said that «Utah Yeti» also wouldn't be accepted because «the singular or plural form of a registered mark is essentially identical in sound, appearance, meaning, and commercial impression, and thus the marks are confusingly similar.»

Utah Hockey Club was seeking to use «Utah Yetis» on a variety of clothing items. The USPTO said a database search turned up «a number of third-party marks registered for use in connection with the same or similar goods and/or services as those of both applicant and registrant in this case.»

Among those parties was Yeti Coolers LLC, which makes drinkware, coolers and clothing. The memo was a «nonfinal office action.» Utah Hockey Club has three months to respond.

Utah Hockey Club is in its first season playing in Salt Lake City. The Arizona Coyotes' franchise was sold to Utah Jazz owners Smith Entertainment Group in April 2024.