The Iowa Heartlanders averaged 1,961 fans at Coralville’s Xtream Arena for its inaugural season in the ECHL. Fans filled the Iowa River Landing area before games which restaurants like 30Hop and Brick and Iron have seen the effect firsthand. 

30Hop general manager, Mike Osaro, said the kitchen gets extremely busy before home games. Osaro said 30Hop has seen “record numbers,” since the addition of Xtream Arena. 

“Every time the Heartlanders have a game, we do get a nice little rush from that,” Osaro said. “A lot of people have the jerseys on, so we know it is from that and then it does clear out after hockey kicks off.”

The fans have been the closest in the league. Jake Bergland, a Heartlanders fan, drives from the Quad Cities to catch the games. “I drive from Hampton, Illinois, to Iowa City just because the games are that fun.” Bergland said the staff really cares about the fans. 

The Heartlanders’ broadcaster, David Fine, mentioned during Heartlanders Hockey Hour that the fan group could not be found anywhere else in the ECHL.

Gallery • 12 Photos

Jerod Ringwald

Marc Korver walks along the Iowa River Landing area before a hockey match between Iowa and Wheeling at Xtream Arena in Coralville on Wednesday, April 6, 2022. On average, the Heartlanders averaged 1,961 fans attending home games throughout the season. The average attendance marked the second worst in the ECHL.