Two forwards on two-way AHL contracts with the Iowa Wild have given the Iowa Heartlanders a boost early in the 2022-23 season. 

Mitchell Balmas and Kevin Conley combined for four points in the Heartlanders’ first two games of the season against the Idaho Steelheads. Balmas recorded two assists on opening night, while Conley put up a 5-on-3 power play goal in the season-opener and an assist in the following contest. 

Heartlanders head coach Derek Damon said the Heartlanders tried to bring in as many skaters with AHL experience as possible throughout the offseason.

“When you’ve played up in that league, it’s a much different animal than what you’re playing at every night down here in the East Coast League,” Damon said. “The more guys we can surround our ECHL guys with that have AHL experience, it’s only going to make them better.” 

After starting the 2021-22 season with Saint Mary’s University in Nova Scotia, Balmas signed a two-way contract with the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds. He notched four goals and one assist in 10 games.

While he was with the ECHL’s Worcester Railers last season, Balmas tallied five goals and seven assists over 17 contests. The Canadian said he signed with the Wild because he thought he could benefit from a change of scenery.

Balmas said even though he’s a shooter who likes to make plays, he takes pride in being reliable defensively. He mentioned he learned how to be a professional when he was in the AHL. 

“It goes a long way from doing the stretches and working hard every day,” Balmas said. “There’s just a lot of things if you want to be a pro and play at the highest level you want to play at. There’s just so many little things away from the rink that you need to get your mindset and your body ready so when it’s come time to work and play, you’re at your best ability.” 

On the other hand, Conley hasn’t appeared in an official AHL game — despite being on an AHL deal. Yet, the Wausau, Wisconsin, product gained his first professional experience toward the end of the 2021-22 season with the ECHL’s Reading Royals. 

“It was good,” Conley said. “I’m glad I did it. It was a learning curve at the beginning, but it was a great experience. I’m glad that I got that under my belt.”

In six regular season games with Reading, the 25-year-old registered two goals and one assist. Over 12 Kelly Cup Playoff contests, the 6-foot, left-handed shooter put three goals and three assists on the board. 

His stint with the Royals, which are in Reading, Pennsylvania, was one of the couple times in Conley’s career he’s been out of the Midwest.

Conley’s junior career began with United States Hockey League’s Youngstown Phantoms in Ohio during the 2013-14 season. For the 2016-17 campaign, he competed at the University of Denver. He moved back to the USHL’s Sioux Falls Stampede in South Dakota following the 2016-17 season because he wasn’t getting the minutes he wanted at Denver.

He enrolled at the University of Nebraska-Omaha in time for the 2018-19 season. In his last two years there, he was the Mavericks’ captain. 

“He’s got skill, but he’s got size; he’s got speed,” Damond said. “He can play with grip, but he can also add an offensive element to his game that we’ll definitely need throughout the year.”