Utah Mammoth News

Home

Quizzes

Newsletter

Utah Mammoth Logos (Photo credit: Utah Mammoth)

Utah Mammoth Filing Lawsuit Against Mammoth Hockey Over Name

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Chase Beardsley | Last updated Aug 6, 2025 8:45 AM ET

The Utah Mammoth have worked hard for over a year to formulate their permanent name. The team ran through multiple rounds of fan voting to go from 20 potential names to six to three to eventually their final name, which they announced last month. It seemed like it was the end of a long process that ended up with the team’s forever name. However, the Mammoth now find themselves in a legal battle due to the result of the year-long saga.

The Mammoth have sued Mammoth Hockey, which is a company that sells high-end hockey bags, asking the U.S. district court to resolve a trademark dispute between the two.

Why Are the Mammoth Suing Mammoth Hockey?

The lawsuit, which was filed on Aug. 1, with the Mammoth ownership’s LLCs, Uyte, and the Smith Entertainment Group (SEG) Hockey listed as the plaintiffs, was filed due to Mammoth Hockey allegedly threatening litigation against the team because of a violation of its trademark rights. The Mammoth struck first by asking the court to resolve a trademark dispute, which they hope will end Mammoth Hockey’s legal threats.

Mammoth Hockey has been around since 2014, started by friends Erik Olson and Lars Huschke. The company is based in Portland, Oregon, and aims to create durable and long-lasting hockey bags.

In April 2025, after the team narrowed their search for their new name to three options, including Mammoth, Olson reached out to Rachel Moffitt, who is the assistant to Chris Armstrong, president of the Utah Mammoth. Olson proposed a collaboration between the hockey team and Mammoth Hockey if the team decided to name itself Mammoth. He also proposed a tagline: “By Mammoth, for Mammoth.”

On top of this, Mammoth Hockey reposted the final six name candidates on Instagram in June 2024 with a circle around Mammoth, saying, “We’re pretty partial to this one.” Attached was a winking emoji.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mammoth Hockey (@mammothhockey)

The two instances show that Mammoth Hockey voiced its support for the team to be named Mammoth both publicly and privately, which the Mammoth have noted in their lawsuit.

SEG officially named their hockey team the Mammoth at the beginning of May in a huge celebration that was attended by players, fans, and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. With the naming came a set of unique logos, branding, and merchandise that sported the iconic colors the team has used since moving from Arizona in 2024.

However, in June 2025, everything suddenly changed. Attorneys for Mammoth Hockey sent SEG a letter claiming trademark violation and requesting that the team cease use of the Mammoth name. SEG sent a letter back recalling the company’s support for the team using the Mammoth name.

It’s official. The Utah Hockey Club will be named the Utah Mammoth. pic.twitter.com/1nYKR71EOs
— Chase Beardsley (@ChaseBeardsley_) May 7, 2025

The letter also stated that the difference between the team and the company is very distinct, thanks to different logos and colors. It makes it so that customers will know the difference between the two, also arguing that the main customers for Mammoth Hockey, hockey players, know the difference between a hockey team and a hockey bag company.

Mammoth Hockey sent back a letter saying that customers will mistake the two, which could cause fans of opposing NHL teams to purchase other brands of hockey bags due to believing that purchasing a Mammoth Hockey bag will support the Mammoth hockey team. The letter also stated that the company planned to initiate legal action.

According to the lawsuit, the threat of legal action by Mammoth Hockey has persisted for months with no action, which has become intolerable for the Mammoth and SEG. The lawsuit isn’t requesting that Mammoth Hockey change its name; rather, it is asking for a trial by jury to show that the Mammoth and SEG never violated any laws.

It’s worth noting that SEG and Uyte filed a trademark application for the mark Utah Mammoth with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) back in April. Mammoth Hockey has never done that for Mammoth or Mammoth Hockey. SEG also states that they have made conscious decisions to differentiate themselves from other sports businesses named Mammoth, which they state there are many of.

Utah Mammoth Logos (Photo credit: Utah Mammoth)

The Mammoth and SEG have released the following statement in response to the lawsuit:

“The Utah Mammoth filed an action in the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah seeking a declaratory judgment that use of the trademark Utah Mammoth does not violate any rights asserted by a third party,” SEG stated. “Utah Mammoth and the NHL believe strongly that we have the right to use the name Utah Mammoth under federal and state law, and that our use will not harm the defendant or its business in any way. We have taken this action only after careful consideration based on the defendant’s position.”

This isn’t the first time SEG has found itself in the courts thanks to a team name. During the name voting process, the team was thinking of using the name Yeti. Unfortunately, the Yeti cooler brand and the NHL and SEG could not come to a coexistence agreement. The name was also rejected by the United States PTO due to “likelihood of confusion” with already registered marks.