Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith is starting to become a regular on the Pat McAfee Show. Since the crew visited Utah for College GameDay in advance of a high-profile Utes football game in November, Smith has been on three times.
In each of those appearances — including on Monday — Smith used the platform to talk about the NHL coming to Utah. Now that the move has happened, he gave some details about the process of finding a name for his new team.
“We’re going to do a bracket,” Smith said during his appearance. “We’ve engaged Qualtrics — I know how to handle the AI bots, we’re good — and Doubleday & Cartwright. I think we’re going to take this down from, like eight, all the way down, and the fans are going to vote for this. It should be good.”
A spokesperson told The Salt Lake Tribune that more details about the team naming process will be revealed at a fan event Wednesday at the Delta Center.
The event, which is free and begins at 4 p.m., will feature Smith and his wife, Ashley, introducing the community to the new team’s players, coaching staff and front office. Smith said he will retain coach André Tourigny and general manager Bill Armstrong, both of whom will be at the event.
The first 5,000 fans will receive vouchers for two seats at an upcoming NHL or Utah Jazz game. Fans also have the chance to win two season tickets for the 2024-25 NHL season, a jersey signed by all members of the new team, and a getaway for two to a road NHL game.
As Smith went through the process of buying the former Arizona Coyotes, he posted a link on X asking people to submit ideas for what was at the time a potential NHL team.
It seems clear Smith will heavily consider fan input when it comes to the new NHL team’s name. Many people have already taken to social media over the past few weeks to share their ideas for not only names, but color schemes for the uniforms.
Smith said last week that he plans to take his time when naming the team, and suggested the 2024-25 season could start without a nickname.
