The Utah Mammoth stands out with one of the coolest new names in the NHL. Not only the epic name resonate with fans, but it also taps into today’s pop culture in a way few team names do.
The team name was chosen after an extensive 13-month voting process that included four rounds and garnered over 850,000 votes. It emerged as the clear favorite, surpassing other finalists like "Outlaws" and "Yeti." Fans were seemingly drawn to the mammoth’s symbolic qualities — strength, momentum, power — qualities the team aims to embody on the ice. But beyond its ties to Utah’s rich prehistoric past, where fossilized mammoth remains have been discovered, the name also reflects a broader cultural fascination with these ancient giants.
Over the past few years, mammoths have been enjoying somewhat of a resurgence, thanks largely to advancements in science and a growing fascination with de-extinction. Colossal Biosciences, a biotechnology company focused on de-extinction, has played a significant role in driving this renewed attention. The company made headlines when it announced plans to bring back the woolly mammoth, a move that sparked widespread media coverage.
Ben Lamm, CEO of Colossal, explained the appeal of the mammoth in a 2021 interview: “Everyone I mentioned bringing back the woolly mammoth to is in support, which is wild because we are talking about bringing a pre-historic mammal back from extinction. I think part of the reason is that they capture the imagination. They are icons.”
Over the past five years, stories about mammoths have proliferated, fueled by breakthroughs like the development of an elephant vaccine that could one day support mammoth reintroduction, the discovery of a mummified woolly mammoth by Canadian miners, and Colossal’s creation of mammoth-like stem cells.
Although Colossal had no direct involvement in the naming, Lamm sees it as a testament to the cultural impact his company hopes to achieve. “Sports is one of the biggest entertainment vertices in modern media,” Lamm said. “If our work has influenced them into looking differently at our history, the planet, or our future, then I think we are doing our job.”