We are now 130 days into the half-year-long ECHL offseason, meaning there are just 58 days until the puck drops on a new season in the Heartland. During this time, Iowans have seen former captain Riese Zmolek become the first ex-Heartlander to lift the Kelly Cup.
Off the Ice, The Heartlanders have rolled out many changes focused on the fan experience and cementing their roots in Iowa. An affiliation renewal with the Iowa and Minnesota Wild and a lease extension at Xtream Arena through the 2027-28 seasons.
In addition, after celebrating its first sellout, Iowa is hoping to continue the achievement at least five more times in 2024-25 with the Five Star Ticket Package and the promotions that come with it.
The games on this list are all on Saturdays and include:
Season Opening Celebration and tailgate, October 19th
Crispy Bacon Night, November 30th
Wild, Wild Midwest, January 18th
Landers Fight Cancer, February 16th
Fan Appreciation Night, April 12th
In addition to this, four new uniforms have been announced for the 2024-25 Season. A new permanent home uniform will be introduced. It is unclear which uniform will be exiting circulation, but with the updates made to the Black Uniform in the 2023-24 season, many suspect that the White Uniform will be getting the update.
The other three uniforms that will be introduced are a Salute to Service, to be worn on November 9th, Heartlanders Pride Uniform on January 17th, and Stick it to Cancer, which will be part of Landers Fight Cancer on February 15th.
Here is what has been teased so far for new uniforms, which are also available for pre-order:
In addition, the team has upped their social media presence and fan engagement, hiring more staff to manage all their accounts and attending events across Eastern Iowa. Their next attendance is expected at FRYfest 2024, an Iowa Hawkeye Sports Pep Rally to be hosted just a block away from Xtream Arena on Friday, August 30th. This is not yet confirmed.
Closer to the Ice, Heartlanders Assistant Captain Yuki Miura has been selected for Japan’s national squad ahead of the Milan 2026 Olympic Qualifying tournaments.
Lastly, the team has announced a program to donate tickets to active and retired military personnel with their Tickets for Troops program, which will work alongside the existing Salute to Service program and games.
Between this and Derek Damon’s work to build a team that can compete for a playoff spot, fans are excited about new experiences and are preparing to return to Xtream Arena for the Fourth Season of Iowa Heartlanders Hockey, which starts on Friday, October 17th at 7 pm.
