The wait is finally over, as one of two new ECHL teams has unveiled the name and logo of their franchise. ECHL Iowa announced on Thursday at Xtream Arena that they will be known as the Iowa Heartlanders. Housed out of Coralville, Iowa, this doesn’t come as a surprise seeing as they have been hinting at announcements all season.
The Heartlanders primary logo is a buck with a golden crown, meanwhile, their secondary logo is a wild prairie rose, which signifies the state rose of the place they call home. The team’s colours will be black and gold, which are likely to lead to some very flashy uniforms. The Heartlanders could have an NHL affiliate with the Minnesota Wild, who’s deal with the the Allen Americans is set to expire at the end of the season. This could present a unique situation, as the Wild’s AHL affiliate is currently based in Des Moines.
Back in March, the Iowa Heartlanders hired Brian McKenna as the hockey club’s president. McKenna brings experience to the team, having worked at all levels leading up to the NHL, including being a part of the Trenton Titans inaugural season. This was back during the 1999-2000 season. That’s a huge factor for Iowa, as someone who is familiar with helping structure new teams. McKenna has worked with the Ottawa Senators and the AHL’s defunct Carolina Monarchs.
ECHL3R (Trois-Rivières), the other new ECHL team, has yet to formally announce a team name, but has hinted at a release being made in the near future.