The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has denied the NHL’s Utah Hockey Club’s request to trademark the name Utah Yetis.
The USPTO issued the refusal on January 9, citing a “likelihood of confusion” with other well-known brands using the name, such as Yeti Coolers. KSL.com reported the refusal earlier this week.
The team now has three months to respond to this “nonfinal office action” to keep the application active, and it can also ask for a three-month extension.
The application aimed to use the name for merchandise like T-shirts, jerseys, sweatshirts, sweatpants, hats, scarves, gloves, and leggings.
The team, which moved to Utah after the Arizona Coyotes were sold last April, is considered an expansion team.
It later gave fans a chance to vote for their favorite team names and revealed in June that Yeti was one of six finalists.
In a statement to ESPN, Utah’s president of hockey operations, Chris Armstrong, said the team always planned to finish its first season as UHC.
“We will continue to involve the community in the final stages of the naming and branding process and are fully on track with our plans to announce a permanent name and identity ahead of the 2025-26 NHL season,” Armstrong said.
