Two skaters with a Florida connection are making an impact on the Iowa Heartlanders eight games into their inaugural season. 

Defenseman Jeff Solow and forward Zach Remers were largely unknown to Heartlanders fans before the start of the 2021-22 season. Now, both receive regular playing time.

Solow, originally from Naples, Florida, agreed to a tryout contract with the Heartlanders during training camp. Iowa signed Solow to an ECHL contract the week before the season started, 

Solow was scratched for the Heartlanders’ inaugural game but played in the next seven.

“It’s just a lot of emotions coming in,” Solow said. “I didn’t know what to expect. I haven’t played in a year and a half. But I mean, after a couple days being here, I felt we really had a tight connection on the team for starters and then just trying to put in some work every day, trying to adjust back to that game-like situation and the mind back and confidence. 

“I think it’s baby steps with all of it, but it’s getting there.” 

When Solow’s 2019-20 season at SUNY-Oswego ended prematurely because of COVID-19 in March 2020, he decided to stay another year — expecting to play. But Solow’s senior season never happened, as his Division III institution canceled all winter sports.

Solow thought about if he could physically continue to play hockey. Then, while participating at a charity hockey tournament in Worcester, Massachusetts, over the summer, he ran into someone who knew Heartlanders assistant coach Derek Damon.

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Solow stayed in contact with Damon throughout the summer and fall. A couple of weeks before Heartlanders training camp, Damon asked Solow to come in for a tryout.

“When he keeps it simple, he’s very effective out there,” Damon said. “He’s physical. He’s doing a lot of the right things defensively that we’re trying to preach.” 

Remers spent his childhood in Buffalo, New York. But, when he started playing junior hockey, his family decided to move somewhere warm — Tampa, Florida.

The 25-year-old signed with the ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears in August, but was released before the beginning of the season. Remers then signed with the Fayetteville Marksmen of the Southern Professional Hockey League. But the Heartlanders officially signed Remers on Oct. 29, before he could see action with the Marksmen.

In five games with the Heartlanders, he’s put up one assist.

“The guys have been super welcoming,” Remers said. “Welcomed me with open arms. It’s pretty easy to build relationships with the guys — super helpful with the systems and things like that — so it’s been a pretty easy transition.” 

The right-handed shooter participated in four seasons of NCAA Division III hockey at Buffalo State, where he tallied 37 goals and 50 assists. Remers played professionally for Kalmar HC in the 2020-21 season, recording eight goals and eight assists in 27 outings.

“He’s a guy with a lot of speed,” Damon said. “He’s got a good shot. Now, he’s just got to find that in the game. He has his speed to his advantage out there, then also find ways to get open and get that shot off. It’s one thing to have a shot, it’s another thing to get it off effectively in a game.”