Iowa Heartlanders excited for final regular season homestand

The Heartlanders compete Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday at Xtream Arena in their final home games of the regular season.

Braden Ernst

Iowa Heartlanders’ forward Luke Nogard weaves through two Comets defensemen during a game between the Fort Wayne Komets and Iowa Heartlanders at Xtream Arena on Wednesday, March 9, 2022. The Komets end the Heartlanders’ seven-game win streak with a 6-0 victory.

Isaac Goffin, Sports Reporter
April 5, 2022

The Iowa Heartlanders, despite dropping their past five contests, are planning on skating back into the win column in their final three home games of the regular season.

The 27-30-8-1 Heartlanders face the Wheeling Nailers on Wednesday, the Kalamazoo Wings on Friday, and the Indy Fuel on Saturday. All contests are slated for a 7 p.m. puck drop at Xtream Arena in Coralville.

Since the losing streak commenced, the Heartlanders have been outscored, 23-11. They sit in last place in the ECHL Central Division with a minimal chance of securing a playoff spot.

“I think we just got to keep doing the little things the right way,” Heartlanders forward Luke Nogard said. “We’re a really good team. We practice right, we practice hard, I think we might be the hardest working team in the league. But we just got to keep doing the little things right to overcome it and get out of this stretch. Do the right thing long enough and good things will happen.”

A point of emphasis for the Heartlanders is communication, as Heartlanders head coach Gerry Fleming said that when they’re competing at their best when they are communicating.

“You’re into the game, your energy is good, you know what’s happening when you’re focused,” Fleming said. “When you’re not communicating, it means you’re not involved in the game. You don’t know what’s going on. You got to let your ears be your eyes out there.”

As the regular season winds down with six games remaining, the Heartlanders have started to reflect on their experiences competing at Xtream Arena and the fans they’ve gained during their inaugural season.

One of those skaters is forward Kris Bennett, who leads the league with 34 goals. His 66 points are most among rookies. Though he competed in nine games with the Stockton Heat during the 2020-21 season, the ECHL considers him a rookie because he played in fewer than 25 games of professional hockey heading into the season.

“It’s been an unbelievable year,” Bennett said. “I wasn’t really sure what to expect this season, but it’s been one of the best years in terms of hockey in my life. The fans have been unbelievable, the players, the coaches, and everyone in the community here. It’s been an awesome time and we’re super grateful for the year and the support that we’ve received and we’re just really looking forward to this weekend.”

The Heartlanders will don new sweaters for all their games this week. Their third jerseys were unveiled on Tuesday with the wild prairie rose — Iowa’s state flower — in the center. The primary color of the uniform is limestone sand to symbolize the limestone discovered alongside the Iowa River.

The Heartlanders’ primary logo, a buck, is on each shoulder. Instead of the buck appearing gray with sunrise gold antlers like how the logo is displayed on their black and white sweaters, the third jersey’s buck has a black outline with the background in limestone sand.

“They look sharp,” Fleming said. “The guys will feel good wearing them, and usually when you feel good, you play good.”