The ultimate NHL team name rankings: Where do the Utah Mammoth rank? Who's No. 1?

What makes a great sports team name? Which ones are iconic and beloved by fans? And, conversely, which ones come up short and why? Now that the Utah franchise has a name the Mammoth we put out the call for NHL subscribers to rate all 32 NHL team names last week.

Nearly 10,000 of you voted in only a few days time, a really impressive turnout given we were in the middle of the second round of the playoffs.

Advertisement To round out the results, weve also added our own votes and averaged them with the fan responses.

Curiously, we were harder markers, with our average score of NHL team names 2.73 compared to 3.41 for readers scores.

Our votes were also often very different from fans choices, showing how subjective this whole exercise can be.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

And maybe we can come up with some better names for the teams on the low end here.

1.

San Jose Sharks The Athletic rating: 4.5 (1st) Fan rating: 3.7 (8th) McIndoe: This is a near-perfect modern sports name.

Its unique without trying too hard, simple without feeling simplistic, aggressive without feeling silly, and the alliteration is an added bonus.

I named it the best team name in league history a few years ago, and while some of my opinions have evolved since then, I stand by this one.

Mirtle: Yeah, this was one of the few names almost everyone agreed on, with 60 percent of fans giving it four or five stars.

I remember when this team came out, and everyone wanted their gear, even though no one in western Canada knew much about San Jose.

A lot of 90s teams went too goofy, but this one has stood the test of time.

2.

Detroit Red Wings The Athletic rating: 4.0 (2nd) Fan rating: 4.2 (2nd) McIndoe: Very nice.

Does it completely make sense when you think about it? Not necessarily, but its almost a century old, so you dont have to.

Mirtle: Im not sure you can even explain why this one works exactly, but it just does.

Better than Sox anyway? 3.

Montreal Canadiens The Athletic rating: 4.0 (2nd) Fan rating: 4.1 (3rd) McIndoe: This is the first (but not last) of the Original Six examples in which I think the readers are just giving out high marks to the most familiar names.

The Montreal Canadiens has obviously come to represent something beyond a mere name.

Purely as a name, though, its cool that its French but otherwise isnt all that creative.

Advertisement Mirtle: Having a name that sounds good and is tied to the region scores high marks with me.

This name is about local identity; its more than just a team.

4.

Boston Bruins The Athletic rating: 4.0 (2nd) Fan rating: 4.0 (4th) McIndoe: How old were you when you found out a bruin was a bear? I was older than Id probably want to admit, but thats OK, because Im not smart.

I do know that bears are scary and cool, though, and this name has that creative twist that improves it without feeling kitschy.

Mirtle: Boston Bears sounds a bit silly.

Bruins? Old school and alliteration and we all learn something new? Thats a lot of wins.

5.

Pittsburgh Penguins The Athletic rating: 3.5 (6th) Fan rating: 3.7 (7th) McIndoe: Penguins are adorable, nonthreatening and almost completely harmless.

Im not sure that makes a great sports team name, but at least the whole ice connection works.

Mirtle: Penguins are also sleek, fast and opportunistic! I wish they kept the Igloo name and design with the new rink, even though it wasnt practical, because Pittsburgh was really nailing the motif.

6.

Toronto Maple Leafs The Athletic rating: 3.0 (11th) Fan rating: 4.2 (1st) McIndoe: Its cooler if you know the history, assuming the version of the history you believe is heroic military unit and not blatantly stolen from a more popular local baseball team.

If you dont know the history, youre confused by both the grammar and why youd name your team after something incredibly fragile thats known for falling helplessly when the going gets tough.

Mirtle: The fan vote went bonkers for the Leafs, which is probably a combination of Toronto fans showing up due to how engaged they are right now, people voting up Original Six names in general, and the fact the name has just come to represent hockey and Canadiana in some fundamental way.

But its definitely a little weird.

Advertisement 7.

Vancouver Canucks The Athletic rating: 3.5 (6th) Fan rating: 3.6 (12th) McIndoe: Kind of silly, but it works in that 1970s kind of way.

Mirtle: My grandfather played briefly for the 40s version of the Canucks and my Dad remains a die-hard so Im not going after this one! Like the Bruins, it introduces a term to a wider audience and the concept of Johnny Canuck if you do your research.

8.

Buffalo Sabres The Athletic rating: 3.5 (6th) Fan rating: 3.5 (13th) McIndoe: Swords are cool.

And they even chose to spell it the Canadian way.

Youre all wrong on this one, Mirtle especially.

Mirtle: I thought this one was fine.

But Sean voted it one of the greatest team names in professional sports history, elevating Buffalos score.

The fans are with me here.

At least its nice for the Sabres to not be at the bottom of something for once.

9.

Vegas Golden Knights The Athletic rating: 4.0 (2nd) Fan rating: 2.9 (27th) McIndoe: I liked it then, and I like it now.

Color modifiers can be hit and miss, but it works here.

I get why it would be a bit too clever for some tastes, but I think the low fan vote is more about people being sick of these guys than actually thinking this is somehow a worse name than Senators.

Mirtle: Theres a large contingent of the more traditional fans who just dont like anything Vegas, it seems.

But when you go to a game there, you see how well it suits the market as something completely different.

Would it be goofy anywhere else? Probably.

Way better than if they went with some gambling theme or something kitschy.

10.

Calgary Flames The Athletic rating: 3.5 (6th) Fan rating: 3.3 (21st) McIndoe: You cant touch a Flames when its red hot! I mean, you can thats actually the only time you can touch one but a nice, simple monosyllabic plural can still be a great name.

Advertisement Mirtle: I thought maybe this would get voted down more, given it was one of those weird relocated team keeps its name in a new market ones.

But fire is cool, so that helps.

And when it blasts out after a goal at the Saddledome, you know they chose right.

11.

Chicago Blackhawks The Athletic rating: 3.0 (11th) Fan rating: 3.7 (9th) McIndoe: Potentially problematic for many of the same reasons the logo comes under fire, but also a name with tons of history thats hard to ignore.

Im not sure quite how to grade them, aside from pointing out that Chicago once went 60 years spelling their own name wrong.

Mirtle: I thought the fan vote would be lower given the controversy, but the pull of hockey tradition is strong.

12.

Florida Panthers The Athletic rating: 3.5 (6th) Fan rating: 3.2 (24th) McIndoe: Not many marks for creativity, with Florida sharing the same team name as roughly 90 percent of American high schools.

But sometimes a name is a classic for a reason, and Panthers has earned its status as an all-timer in the sports world.

Mirtle: It seemed a bit cheesy in the 90s, but its grown on hockey fans and just fits now, especially since it highlights the endangered Florida panther.

13.

New Jersey Devils The Athletic rating: 3.0 (11th) Fan rating: 3.5 (14th) McIndoe: Everyone who gave this a good mark is going to hell.

Which is most of the appeal here, if were being honest.

Mirtle: 14.

Winnipeg Jets The Athletic rating: 3.0 (11th) Fan rating: 3.5 (15th) McIndoe: It was reasonably cool, if a little plain, back in the 1970s.

By the 2010s, it felt drab.

But they kept it anyway, and it was absolutely the right call, because this is still a way better name than the Winnipeg Winter Moose or whatever some marketing consultant would have pushed for back in 2011.

Mirtle: I do believe they were named after the New York Jets originally, which is unfortunate.

But yes, it was better, given the history, than the alternatives.

Advertisement 15.

Seattle Kraken The Athletic rating: 3.0 (11th) Fan rating: 3.4 (18th) McIndoe: I still like it, but I get why some people dont.

(They hate whimsy and fun.) Mirtle: Not nearly as good as what Vegas came up with.

It gives me Toronto Raptors vibes.

Its too bad they couldnt have been the Supersonics or some variation.

I always liked the Seattle Thunderbirds get-up, too, so something along those lines could have been fun.

16.

Edmonton Oilers The Athletic rating: 2.5 (19th) Fan rating: 3.8 (5th) McIndoe: A little bit of pandering to local industry isnt the worst marketing strategy, especially when youre coming in as part of a rebel league that might not survive more than a few seasons, but you wish theyd reached a little higher way back when.

Mirtle: Were definitely getting hate mail for this one, DGB.

This was where we were the most out of step with fans, who somehow voted it a top five name in the league.

17.

Tampa Bay Lightning The Athletic rating: 3.0 (11th) Fan rating: 3.3 (22nd) McIndoe: This is the team responsible for bringing singular names into the NHL.

The name itself isnt awful, but actions have consequences.

Mirtle: Bah, I like it.

Did you want them to be the Lightnings? 18.

Los Angeles Kings The Athletic rating: 3.0 (11th) Fan rating: 3.2 (23rd) McIndoe: This is a nice, simple name that looks you in the eye when it shakes your hand.

Mirtle: And then you fall asleep.

19.

Utah Mammoth The Athletic rating: 3.0 (11th) Fan rating: 3.1 (26th) McIndoe: Its OK, and a huge step forward from Hockey Club.

I might have considered a 4 if theyd gone plural.

Mirtle: Nineteenth is higher than I was expecting for a brand-new name, but a lot of that is our votes propping it up.

Maybe itll grow on fans once their mascot starts impaling people with its tusks? 20.

Philadelphia Flyers The Athletic rating: 2.5 (19th) Fan rating: 3.4 (16th) McIndoe: So what do you guys do? We, uh, fly.

So, like, youre a bird? An airplane? A projectile of some sort? Look, youve already put more thought into this than we clearly did.

Advertisement Mirtle: Points for alliteration, but what is a Flyer? Shouldnt it be spelled Phlyers? I looked up where it came from, and it was part of a naming contest.

They were almost called the Sabers so Sean could have had two best favorites.

21.

Carolina Hurricanes The Athletic rating: 2.5 (19th) Fan rating: 3.4 (20th) McIndoe: I realize this is hardly just a Carolina thing, but Ive never fully understood the appeal of naming your team after a local recurring tragedy that kills people.

Mirtle: Too bad there wasnt a way to keep the Whalers name and logo.

22.

Colorado Avalanche The Athletic rating: 2.0 (22nd) Fan rating: 3.8 (6th) McIndoe: The same as I just wrote for the Hurricanes, only this ones also singular.

Mirtle: I remember hating when we went from Nordiques to this, but its grown on me a little.

Points for the ice theme.

Points deducted for sounding like a roller hockey team, though.

23.

New York Rangers The Athletic rating: 2.0 (22nd) Fan rating: 3.6 (10th) McIndoe: Another name that some of you are overrating based on familiarity, but as old-school names go, its perfectly fine.

Mirtle: Theyre sort of named after the Texas Rangers, which is just weird.

But then again, most of the old names are strange.

24.

St.

Louis Blues The Athletic rating: 2.0 (22nd) Fan rating: 3.6 (10th) McIndoe: Youd never pick this name today, but I dont mind that.

The plural color is one of the oldest naming conventions in sports, and the musical connotation adds another layer.

Its perfectly fine.

Mirtle: Id give it a higher rating if theyd bring back the musical jersey Mike Keenan wanted to burn.

This was another one the fans liked a lot more than us, voting it 10th.

25.

New York Islanders The Athletic rating: 1.5 (27th) Fan rating: 3.4 (16th) McIndoe: So what do you guys do? We, uh, island.

That doesnt even make sense.

Shut up, this will make total sense as long as we never temporarily move to Brooklyn.

Advertisement Mirtle: Yeah, negative points for creativity here.

I think were getting more hate mail now, though.

Readers were bigger fans of it than we cynics, for what its worth.

26.

Nashville Predators The Athletic rating: 2.0 (22nd) Fan rating: 2.8 (29th) McIndoe: I like where they were going, but this is just a little bit too generic for my tastes.

Mirtle: The double meaning of being a predator isnt doing them any favors either.

Of the other options they were looking at, including Attack and Fury, Ice Tigers might have worked better? 27.

Ottawa Senators The Athletic rating: 1.5 (27th) Fan rating: 3.1 (25th) McIndoe: I liked that the Jets kept their old name when the market was resurrected, but that was a 15-year gap and this was over 50.

I love history as much as the next guy, but not enough to name my pro sports team after an old rich guy with connections who never actually does anything.

Mirtle: Yeah, there are classic names and just plain dated ones, and this is the latter.

Although who doesnt enjoy cheering for their local senator to review and refine legislation? 28.

Columbus Blue Jackets The Athletic rating: 2.0 (22nd) Fan rating: 2.5 (32nd) McIndoe: I want to like it.

If you catch me on the right day, I kind of do.

But most fans dont get it, and unfortunately, Columbus rarely gives them much reason to want to figure it out.

Mirtle: This one received the lowest scores out of all 32 teams in the fan vote by quite a bit.

I dont think thats entirely fair, as they deserve some points for originality, but something about it hasnt worked.

I wonder if theyd have been more successful it would have caught on more? 29.

Washington Capitals The Athletic rating: 1.0 (31st) Fan rating: 3.4 (19th) McIndoe: Yes, youre the capital city, very clever.

I kind of like the three-three syllabic flow here, but I would have said the same thing for Washington Dunderheads.

Advertisement Mirtle: Im a bit baffled why this one received such high marks from fans.

Maybe someone can explain it in the comments for us, as we both gave this the lowest grade.

Perhaps were the dunderheads? 30.

Anaheim Ducks The Athletic rating: 1.5 (27th) Fan rating: 2.8 (29th) McIndoe: Its an improvement on Mighty Ducks, in the same way that a fracture is an improvement over a compound fracture.

Mirtle: But now theyre just ducks.

And they dont even do the quack attack late in games.

31.

Dallas Stars The Athletic rating: 1.5 (27th) Fan rating: 2.7 (31st) McIndoe: OK, without any other context at all, Stars is fine.

Bland and uncreative, but also simple.

We could live with it.

But we know the context the Stars were previously the North Stars, which was a way better name.

They moved to Dallas and watered it down, partly so they could piggyback on the Cowboys brand.

And yes, Lone Stars would have been better.

Mirtle: And now were robbed of getting the North Stars back, which led to ...

32.

Minnesota Wild The Athletic rating: 1.0 (31st) Fan rating: 2.8 (28th) McIndoe: Awful.

Mirtle: Its telling that we had tons of votes from our many Minnesotan/Russo readers and even they arent defending it.

Can we let them just have their old name back? (Top photo: Tyler Tate / Getty Images).

This article has been shared from the original article on theathleticuk, here is the link to the original article:

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6365596/2025/05/20/nhl-team-name-rankings/