Iowa Heartlanders
CityCoralville, Iowa
LeagueECHL
ConferenceWestern
DivisionCentral
Founded2021
Home arenaXtream Arena powered by Mediacom
ColorsBlack, sunrise yellow, grey, white
       
Owner(s)Michael Devlin
Head coachDerek Damon
AffiliatesMinnesota Wild (NHL)
Iowa Wild (AHL)
Websiteiowaheartlanders.com
Franchise history
2021–presentIowa Heartlanders
Current season

The Iowa Heartlanders are a professional minor league ice hockey team in the ECHL based in Coralville, Iowa. The team began play in the 2021–22 ECHL season, playing their home games at Xtream Arena.

History

On September 17, 2020, Newfoundland Growlers' majority owner Dean MacDonald (through his group Deacon Sports and Entertainment) came to an agreement with the city of Coralville to place an ECHL team in Xtream Arena, pending league approval, for the 2021–22 season.[1] On January 12, 2021, the team was approved by the ECHL Board of Governors to join the league for the 2021–22 season.[2] In March 2021, the team announced it had hired former ECHL commissioner Brian McKenna as team president.[3] The team name, Iowa Heartlanders, was announced on May 20, 2021.[4] On June 17, the Heartlanders announced they would be the affiliate of the Minnesota Wild.[5] On July 27, 2021, the Heartlanders named Gerry Fleming as their inaugural head coach.[6]

On October 22, 2021, the Heartlanders played their first game against the Kansas City Mavericks and won 7–4 at home with more than 4000 in attendance. In November, Kris Bennett was named the team's first captain, with Jake Linhart and Riese Zmolek given alternate captain roles.

The Heartlanders finished their inaugural season with 29 wins, which included a franchise-best seven-game winning streak from mid-February - early March 2022.

In the summer of 2022, former head coach Gerry Fleming accepted an opportunity in the DEL (top German pro league) with a club in Frankfurt, Germany. The move paved the way for Fleming's assistant coach Derek Damon to take over the head coaching position. Damon was officially announced as the second coach in team history on July 5, 2022.

The Heartlanders set the team's all-time attendance record on Opening Night 2022 (Oct. 21, 2022) vs. the Idaho Steelheads.

In July 2023, Michael Devlin became the team's majority owner. The switch helped improve the team's local direction and resources. Devlin, founded Heartlanders Hockey LLC and brought a strong hockey background to the team, having already been the primary owner of the USHL's Des Moines Buccaneers.

Season-by-season records

Regular season Playoffs
SeasonGPWLOTLSOLPtsGFGAStandingYear1st round2nd round3rd roundKelly Cup
2021–2272293391682292637th, Central2022did not qualify
2022–23722236131581892567th, Central2023did not qualify

Players

Current roster

Updated July 14, 2023[7]

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Team roster
No. Nat Player Pos S/G Age Acquired Birthplace Contract
91 Canada Matthew Boucher LW L 26 2022 Los Angeles, California Heartlanders
27 United States Alec Broetzman LW L 26 2022 Hudson, Wisconsin Heartlanders
89 Canada Nick Campoli C L 24 2022 Toronto, Ontario Heartlanders
35 United States Drew DeRidder G L 23 2023 Fenton, Michigan Heartlanders
43 United States Jake Durflinger RW R 26 2022 Walnut Creek, California Heartlanders
17 Canada Austin Eastman LW L 26 2023 Lindsay, Ontario Heartlanders
– United States Peyton Jones G L 27 2023 Langhorne, Pennsylvania Heartlanders
– Canada Davis Koch C L 25 2023 Surrey, British Columbia Heartlanders
– Germany Michael Knaub LW L 28 2023 Dortmund, Germany Heartlanders
26 United States Jared Kucharek D L 25 2023 Royal Oak, Michigan Heartlanders
2 United States Brendan Less D R 25 2022 Kinnelon, New Jersey Heartlanders
12 Canada Tanner MacMaster, ECHL C L 27 2023 Calgary, Alberta Heartlanders
9 Canada Mason McCarty RW R 26 2023 Blackie, Alberta Heartlanders
7 United States Kevin McKernan D R 29 2022 Grafton, Massachusetts Heartlanders
36 Japan Yuki Miura C R 27 2021 Tokyo, Japan Heartlanders
6 United States Tommy Parrottino F L 25 2022 Rochester Hills, Michigan Heartlanders
28 United States Clayton Phillips D L 24 2023 Edina, Minnesota Heartlanders
15 United States Brendan Robbins RW R 28 2022 Nashua, New Hampshire Heartlanders
61 United States James Sanchez (A) LW L 25 2022 Northbrook, Illinois Heartlanders
– United States Odeen Tufto C R 26 2023 Chaska, Minnesota Heartlanders
14 United States Justin Wells D L 25 2022 North Canton, Ohio Heartlanders
22 United States Zach White C R 28 2021 Milford, Connecticut Heartlanders
25 United States Riese Zmolek (C) D L 27 2021 Rochester, Minnesota Heartlanders

References

  1. ↑ "Coralville announces it is getting a professional hockey team". The Gazette. Cedar Rapids, Iowa. September 17, 2020.
  2. ↑ "ECHL Approves Two Expansion Memberships". ECHL. January 12, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Iowa Names Mckenna as Team President". ECHL. March 26, 2021.
  4. ↑ "Introducing the Iowa Heartlanders". ECHL. May 20, 2021.
  5. ↑ "Minnesota Wild Announces Affiliation Agreement with Iowa Heartlanders". OurSports Central. June 17, 2021.
  6. ↑ "Gerry Fleming Named Heartlanders First Head Coach". Iowa Heartlanders. July 27, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Iowa Heartlanders roster". EliteProspects.com. July 14, 2023. Retrieved July 14, 2023.


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