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Iowa Heartlanders

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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

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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.[citation needed] In November, Kris Bennett was named the team's first captain, with Jake Linhart and Riese Zmolek given alternate captain roles.[citation needed]

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.

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.

The team's third season (2023–24) was filled with a number of records: the club tied its longest winning streak ever and achieved its longest points streak ever (9). On Apr. 13, 2024, the Heartlanders sold out Xtream Arena for the first time ever, in a 7-4 romp over the Kansas City Mavericks to conclude the season on a high note.

Season-by-season records

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Regular season Playoffs
Season GP W L OTL SOL Pts GF GA Standing Year 1st round 2nd round 3rd round Kelly Cup
2021–22 72 29 33 9 1 68 229 263 7th, Central 2022 did not qualify
2022–23 72 22 36 13 1 58 189 256 7th, Central 2023 did not qualify
2023–24 72 27 37 6 2 62 186 250 7th, Central 2024 did not qualify

References

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  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.
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