Naming contest begins Thursday for new Idaho Falls hockey team

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - A junior hockey team is coming to Idaho Falls and fans now get their chance to be apart of the team through the team's naming contest. The contest was announced Thursday afternoon through the Idaho Falls Chukars' social media pages, as the owners of the Chukars also will own the new hockey team.

President and General Manager Kevin Greene said they're taking all suggestions from fans.

"I do want to have the fans involved," Greene said. "I think it's because it is a community asset once it's up and running, just like the Chukars baseball team is. So I think fans should have the opportunity to have some input because it's a brand and the name of the team they're going to be rooting for for decades to come. We're already getting a number of great names in, and it's an important brand. It's going to be our hockey team for the next, numerous amount of years at the Mountain America Center. And we're looking forward to seeing how creative folks are. Currently, it's a blank canvas out there. So we're taking all names."

The team begins play in the Fall of 2022. Greene also said that the team will either be an expansion franchise in the NA3HL or they will purchase a current NA3HL franchise.