National Hockey League

Vegas Golden Knights have trademark denied weeks after unveiling name

Published Dec. 14, 2016 8:29 a.m. ET

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Pete Blackburn

It's only been a few weeks since Las Vegas' new NHL franchise -- the Vegas Golden Knights -- had their big name and logo unveiling, but they've already hit a few snags with the moniker.

The latest issue comes this week as the team's ownership group has reportedly had its application for trademark request denied by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The reason for denial cites a "likelihood of confusion" with the Golden Knights of The College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York.

Let's compare the two, shall we?

So, they don't seem that similar if you ask me. Then again, I'm not an expert in the business of trademarking, so what do I know?

Either way, Vegas has six months to respond to the trademark refusal "by submitting evidence and arguments in support of registration."  It sounds like the team plans on doing that, as indicated in a statement provided to Sports Illustrated.

This whole debacle comes after Army's parachute team, also named the Golden Knights, expressed some resistance to sharing the name with the NHL club. After Vegas' big unveiling in November, a spokesman for Army said they planned on “reviewing the situation and figuring out what the way ahead would be.”

Vegas is already selling merchandise with its name and logo and will continue to do so for the time being. If any changes end up being necessary to secure a trademark, the team's initial batch of merchandise could ultimately become collector's items.

Something tells me that this will all get worked out in the end, but this certainly isn't the most ideal start to running a pro sports franchise.

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