Iowa rings in New Year at Mavericks

Independence, MO – The Iowa Heartlanders, proud ECHL affiliate of the Minnesota Wild and Iowa Wild, play their final game of the calendar year at the Kansas City Mavericks Saturday at 7:05 p.m.The Heartlanders are facing the Mavs for the fourth straight game: the clubs played Dec. 21, Dec. 23 and Dec. 30 at Cable Dahmer Arena. Iowa faces Kansas City nine times this season and seven of those series games are on the road.In the most-recent rendition of Landers-Mavs, Kansas City came from behind for a 5-2 win, scoring four unanswered goals.Following this game, Iowa returns home for a three-game home stand at Xtream Arena, starting Jan. 4 vs. Indy. Next week’s games at Xtream Arena include Mossy Oak Night, with the first bobblehead giveaway in team history, pres. by DASH Auctions. Tickets are available for all three games vs. Indy on Jan. 4, Jan. 6 and Jan. 7 by visiting Iowaheartlanders.com/tickets.Broadcast Coverage: Watch online at flohockey.tv. Listen on mixlr.com/goheartlanders.Affiliates: Iowa Heartlanders (Minnesota Wild/Iowa Wild) | Kansas City Mavericks (Seattle Kraken/Coachella Valley Firebirds)Rookie ContributionsIowa boasts one of the league’s youngest lineups and as a result, many of the club’s top contributors are rookies.Rookie Michael Pastujov is the team leader with 17 points; he joined Iowa from Idaho in an early-season trade and won the league’s November Rookie of the Month award with 14 points (4g) in his first full month pro.Cole Stallard is in his second ECHL season and leads the team with nine goals followed closely by rookies Tommy Parrottino and Alec Broetzman (six goals each).Nolan Orzeck leads active Heartlanders blue liners with ten points (8a). He scored his second pro goal Friday vs. Kansas City.Let’s get it going in 2023Similar to last season, the Heartlanders will look to rise up the Central Division standings with a strong run after the new year. In 2021-22, the Heartlanders sat at 9-15-3-1 entering the new year, then proceeded to go .500 or better in each of the next three months to stay competitive for the fourth and final Central Division playoff spot.Most of the offensive damage last season owed to the return of Kris Bennett from the AHL’s Iowa Wild and Ryan Kuffner from injury. Bennett won the league’s Rookie of the Year award and tied for the ECHL goals lead with 35 goals in 2021-22, while Kuffner led qualified ECHL forwards in points-per-game. Current Heartlanders forward Zach White centered that line and finished with a point-per-game (51 points in 52 games). 

Upcoming home games and ticket informationView the team’s full promotional schedule at iowaheartlanders.com/promotions. The Heartlanders are next at home to face the Indy Fuel in a three-game series beginning Wednesday, January 4 at 7:05 p.m. The second game of the three-game set is Friday, January 6 at 7:05 p.m. On Saturday, January 7 at 7:05 p.m., the Heartlanders are embracing camo, hunting & the outdoors on Mossy Oak Night, featuring the first-ever bobblehead giveaway (first 500 fans) and special Mossy Oak jerseys, pres. by DASH Auctions. Wear camo for chance to win in-game prizes and call the Iowa Heartlanders ticket off for a special Camo Hat Ticket Package at 319-569-.Single-game tickets, group ticket options, partial plans and season ticket memberships are available for Heartlanders home games at Xtream Arena.  Call 319-569- or visit iowaheartlanders.com/tickets for more information.