The newest hockey team in the NHL, the Utah Mammoth, recently announced their new name and logo—and hockey fans had a lot to say about it. But their relaunch isn’t over just yet; they still have to pick a mascot and give it a name. And the NHL Network’s suggestions had Mammoth players in stitches.
Just one week ago, the franchise formerly known as the Utah Hockey Club announced that, starting in the 2025–2026 season, they will be called the Utah Mammoth. Along with the name, they unveiled their new logo, featuring a mammoth with some Utah-themed Easter eggs hidden in the details—like the Utah mountains subtly incorporated into the mammoth’s head. However, the logo faced some criticism after it was revealed that it had been based on a design by a fan who had created mockup logos just for fun. No action was taken by either side, and the matter was quietly laid to rest.
Utah Mammoth new logo
But launching a new team is about more than just a name and a logo. Every team needs a mascot. To help out, the NHL studio, consisting of Mike Rupp, Brian Boyle and Lauren Gardner, presented ten mascot suggestions to Mammoth players Alexander Kerfoot and Sean Durzi. The players were asked to blind-rank the options, and some of their reactions led to serious laughter in the studio.
Utah Mammoth mascot name
One of the suggested names for the Mammoth mascot was “Tusker,” a nod to the team’s new slogan: “Tusks up.” It was a suggestion that studio guest Brian Boyle wasn’t too fond of.
“Sounds like something a kindergarten would come up with,” he said, prompting laughter all around.
“It doesn’t really sound like a juggernaut,” was Kerfoot’s verdict.
Experts in stitches
Eventually, both Kerfoot and Durzi agreed that the name “Manny” was the perfect choice.
Manny, of course, is the name of the mammoth from the hugely popular Ice Age film franchise—something the players didn’t realize at first.
“This is good. This is really good. We didn’t know that Manny was from Ice Age. That seems pretty juggernaut-y,” Durzi joked. “I can see Rupper dressing up as Manny.”
You can watch the full clip below.
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