Utah Mammoth's $7M Branding Blitz Threatened by Trademark Lawsuit

In October 2025, Utah's new NHL franchise, the Utah Mammoth, found itself embroiled in a trademark dispute with an Oregon-based hockey bag maker, Mammoth Hockey LLC. The Mammoth had spent a "conservative" $7 million to launch its branding, including over $5 million on merchandise and $400,000 on player jerseys and gear.

The team's efforts have paid off, with fans across the country embracing the Mammoth brand. By the end of September 2025, the team had racked up $500,000 in merchandise sales. However, the hockey bag maker is now demanding that the Mammoth immediately cease using the "Mammoth" name and logo, claiming it infringes on their rights.

The Mammoth has filed a lawsuit asking a judge to determine that their branding does not infringe on the bag maker's rights. The team argues that its branding, which includes the word "Utah" and a distinct mammoth head logo, has created over $100 million in valuable "goodwill" that would be destroyed by a forced name change. They claim it would be "extraordinarily burdensome" to comply with an injunction, citing the widespread use of their marks and the $7 million in costs.

The Mammoth's defense rests on the dissimilarity between their brand and the bag maker's, with a market study showing only 0.7% of respondents were confused between the two. The team also claims the bag maker purposefully delayed bringing its claims until the start of the NHL season to maximize exposure.

As the legal battle continues, the Mammoth's $7 million branding investment and the future of their identity hang in the balance.