The late Ed Snider, founder of the Philly franchise, took in a Broadway play one night in 1966 with his wife, plus his sister and her husband. On the drive back, the group stopped for ice cream. They brainstormed team names over a few of Howard Johnson's then-28 flavors. Snider's sister suggested "Flyers," imagining the fast pace of NHL skaters and, yep, it checked the alliteration box too.
Some NHL team names pivoted on an owner's background. Toronto played as the "Arenas" when it joined the NHL in the founding year of 1917, then changed its name to the "St. Patricks" during most of the 1920s. Conn Smythe bought the team in the 1927 and sought a new name that encouraged patriotism. He chose Maple Leafs because the uniforms of most Canadian military regiments featured a maple leaf badge during World War I. Fun facts: 1. If Conn Smythe sounds familiar, it's because the Stanley Cup Playoffs MVP trophy is named after him; and 2. The maple leaf didn't appear on the Canadian flag until the mid-1960s.
In 1925, Madison Square Garden president G.I."Tex" Rickard began lobbying for an NHL team. A year later, he was awarded one. Local fans and media developed a habit of referring to the team as "Tex's Rangers" and the New York Rangers now stand as one of the league's "Original Six" franchises.
Geography can certainly influence the team name. Alberta is brimming with oil fields, hence the Edmonton Oilers. Sharks swim the waters of Northern California, including San Jose. Tampa Bay has the most lightning strikes of any U.S metropolitan area.
A good number of teams have conducted team name contests. The Arizona Coyotes beat out "Scorpions" in a showdown of desert inhabitants. Buffalo went with Sabres despite any connection to the upstate New York city.
Most names considered by NHL Seattle derive from fans, whether during listening sessions with ticket depositors, reviewing hundreds of names submitted to digital channels and, yes, everyday conversations with fans, neighbors, city officials, teachers, store clerks, food servers, medical personnel and, ahem, you name it. Wearing NHL Seattle swag or pinning a "Return to Hockey" button to your backpack expedites the name exchange.