Iowa Heartlanders

ECHL: Iowa Heartlanders Hire Key Assistant, Announce Season-Ending Roster

Coralville, Iowa- On June 18th, Derek Damon made his first new hiring since having his coaching staff poached. His associate, Joe Exter, was poached by a junior hockey club, and training staff got promoted to the AHL’s Iowa Wild. Kevin Schmidt will complete the coaching staff, joining Damon and Video Coach Eric Michaud as the […]

Iowa Heartlanders Announce 2024-25 Protected List

Coralville, Iowa- On Monday, June 10th, the Iowa Heartlanders and the other 26 returning ECHL teams announced their protected lists. This list allows a team priority negotiation for ECHL-level contracts with players who last played for their team, similar to restricted free agency at the NHL level. Protected Players On The Heartlanders Active Roster During […]

Heartlanders Forward Departs for Europe

Coralville, Iowa- On May 27th, the Nybro Vikings of HockeyAllsvenskan in Sweden announced the signing of French International forward Louis Boudon. The Nybro Vikings, located in Nybro, Sweden, are known as a staple in the second tier of the Swedish Professional Hockey system. Following a 47-point season split between the Iowa Heartlanders and Iowa Wild, […]

ECHL: Iowa Heartlanders 2023-24 Season in Review

As the Florida Everblades clinch their third consecutive Kelly Cup, it is time to review the Iowa Heartlanders 2023-24 Season. I suggested in November that this may be the season where Iowa made their first playoffs. This was not what was written in the stars for Derek Damon’s crew. Iowa finished the season with 27 […]

ECHL: Toledo Walleye Announce 2024-25 Schedule

Today, the Toledo Walleye announced their 2024-25 schedule for the upcoming season, and they have a rough start, playing their first five games on the road. The first home game for the Walleye is November 1st against the Wheeling Nailers, the same team they swept in this year’s playoffs. The season schedule has Toledo opening […]

ECHL: NHL Teams Without An ECHL Affiliate

With two new teams on the horizon for the ECHL, Bloomington Bison and Tahoe Knight Monsters, it leaves those in the hockey world, wondering, who are the NHL affiliates of these two teams? Here is the thing, five teams in the NHL DO NOT have an ECHL affiliate. Having an NHL affiliate helps those teams […]

Rapid City Rush Forward Signs with Dundee Stars in the EIHL

Rapid City Rush forward Brett Gravelle has signed to play in Scotland for the 2024-25 season. He will be joining the Dundee Stars of the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL), whose teams are located in the United Kingdom. Professional Career After finishing his collegiate career at the University of St. Thomas, Brett Gravelle signed with […]

ECHL: Iowa Heartlanders Key Assistant Leaves for NAHL Job

St. Cloud, Minnesota—On May 13th, the St. Cloud Norsemen of the NAHL announced that Joe Exter will be taking over as head coach and general manager of their team, effective immediately. With this, the Iowa Heartlanders’ search for a new associate head coach and assistant will begin immediately. The NAHL is a US-based junior hockey […]

Analyzing the Iowa Heartlanders’ decision to extend Derek Damon’s Contract

On Saturday, May 10th, the Iowa Heartlanders announced that Head Coach and General Manager Derek Damon has signed a multi-year extension. Damon’s previous two seasons in the Heartland did not inspire fans. Iowa went a combined 49-73-19-3 and was unable to get out of the cellar of the Central Division. However, not all of this […]

ECHL: Iowa Heartlanders Extend Head Coach and GM

The Iowa Heartlanders have announced that they have signed Head Coach and General Manager Derek Damon to a multi-year extension. Damon has been with the Heartlanders since their inaugural season, where he was an assistant coach and would be promoted to Head Coach after Gerry Fleming would head to Germany to coach after the teams’ […]