Name of the game: Pro hockey team set for Monday reveal

RIO RANCHO — It’s time, ladies and gentlemen.

On Monday, the Sept. 29, the New Mexico Pro Hockey team coming to Rio Rancho will have its new name at a brand reveal event at Rio Rancho Events Center.

Shared to the public earlier this month, the event is open to everyone and will run from 5:30-8 p.m.

This reveal is months in the making, but for those who haven’t been following along, let’s catch you up to speed.

In June, a fan suggestion contest was cut down to three names: The Cutthroats, Goatheads and the Tarantula Hawks. A fan vote was open in early July, allowing fans to pick their favorite as the team surveyed the crowd.

Fast forward to today, and the team is ready to show the city where they landed.

“We couldn’t be more excited to share our permanent identity with the community,” Jared Johnson, general manager of the New Mexico Pro Hockey Club, said in a statement earlier this month. “This brand is built to reflect New Mexico’s pride, grit and passion, and we hope it’s something every fan can rally behind as we bring professional hockey back to the region.”

Well, have we gained any knowledge or seen any hints on what the name might be from June to now?

Nope, not at all. The team has kept things under wraps to make Monday a true reveal.

The team has been spotted out in the community, including tabling at Rio Rancho’s “Oktoberfest,” where staffers handed out free goodies sporting the generic blue and navy “New Mexico Pro Hockey Club,” soon to be outdated.

But for our visual learners in the community, let graphic designer Nick Stella provide some potential looks.

Stella, the owner of “stelladzn19” on Instagram, has mocked up all three names and logos to provide what we might see on Monday evening.(tncms-asset)3b8eb5f3-d96f-474c-aaa2-4bac1715a40a[1](/tncms-asset)(tncms-asset)ae865b4b-7138-4f40-acd8-2c9838abecd8[2](/tncms-asset)

“It is always a fun time for us designers, especially hockey when professional leagues announce new expansion teams,” Stella said. “For me, I love comparing my concepts to the actual brand when it comes out to see what separates their designs from mine and where I can improve moving forward.”

Stella did not spare any small details, despite not being a resident of Rio Rancho or even the state of New Mexico.

Coming from Ontario, Canada, the designer talked about how helpful the internet was in the process.

”Researching the state’s history, as well as Rio Rancho’s, gave me a better understanding of what message to tell in the logos,” Stella said. “What to incorporate in the designs to really make this feel like it belongs to the state.”

For local residents, it has been a mixed bag of opinions on what the final name should be out of the three.

The University of New Mexico club hockey team, playing out of the MAC here in town, was asked what name they are hoping for on the team’s Instagram page.

Five votes for the Cutthroats, three for the Goatheads, and no love shown for the Tarantula Hawks.

“Personally, I am pulling for the Goatheads,” Stella said. “You can do a lot with it. Animal-wise or plant-wise.”

No matter what name they land on, Monday night should be a fun evening full of events for every fan at the RREC. For more information, visit nmprohockey.com.