ECHL: “Scariest Man in Hockey” set to return to the Heartlanders

Coralville, Iowa- On July 11, the Forward Nico Blachman and the Iowa Heartlanders agreed to a contract renewal.

The 26-year-old Enforcer from Florida is representing his eighth ECHL team with the Iowa Heartlanders, previously a member of Florida, South Carolina, Allen, Savannah, and Norfolk from 2020-2023 and Kalamazoo and Adirondack before joining Iowa in 2023-24.

Blachman and the Heartlanders joined together to release a special statement about their re-coupling:

A perennial league leader in penalty minutes, Blachman drives fear into the opposition. In just his first fight at Xtream Arena, Nico delivered this decisive blow on Matthew Quercia, a man who is known for causing drama in the Iowa-Wheeling Rivalry:

Peter Laviolette III, Wheeling Nailers enforcer and son of the New York Rangers head coach, picked his stick and gloves up and returned to the bench when Nico challenged him to a fight. Blachman then did the Chicken Dance on the ice to mock Laviolette.

ECHL fans let Iowa know they were getting an elite enforcer when the Heartlanders signed Blachman as a free agent. “His best friend is the penalty box, and his worst enemy is whoever crosses his path,” one fan said on Twitter.

Nico quickly made himself at home in Iowa, winning the love and support of the people as both a hockey player and a person, and quickly receiving the loudest cheers for his actions and the highest bids for signed memorabilia.

The Iowa Heartlanders roster is quickly taking shape, as Head Coach and General Manager Derek Damon has six players under contract for 2024-2025:

Defensemen (1): Jules Boscq

Forwards (6): Nico Blachman, Will Calverley, Adam Goodsir, Yuki Miura, and Jonny Sorenson