Iowa sets sights on signing players, announces 2023 season-ending roster

Coralville, Iowa – The Iowa Heartlanders, proud affiliate of the Minnesota Wild and Iowa Wild, released the team’s season-ending roster Friday. Iowa named 12 forwards and eight defensemen to the list.Iowa can begin to sign players to contracts for the 2023-24 season Friday. July 7 is the due date for players to receive qualifying offers. Iowa is allowed to qualify up to eight players on the season-ending roster.The Heartlanders start the 2023-24 season on Friday, October 20 at 7:05 p.m. against the Rapid City Rush. Season ticket memberships, mini-plans, partial plans and group tickets are available for the 2023-24 season by visiting iowaheartlanders.com/tickets and by calling 319-569-4625.Season-Ending Roster:Defensemen (8): Brendan Less, Bo Hanson, Kevin McKernan, Chris Lipe, Nolan Orzeck, Justin Wells, Riese Zmolek, Clayton PhillipsForwards (12): Tommy Parrottino, Tanner MacMaster, Austin Eastman, Justin Michaelian, Zach White, Alec Broetzman, Yuki Miura, Jake Durflinger, Michael Pastujov, Jesse Jacques, Nick Campoli, Mason McCartyThe Heartlanders also announced the completion of two future considerations trades. The Toledo Walleye acquired forward Carson Denomie from Iowa to complete a deal from January 25, 2023 in which Iowa acquired defenseman Tommy Parran. The Idaho Steelheads acquired forward Nick Nardella from the Heartlanders, completing a deal from Nov. 2 in which Iowa acquired forward Michael Pastujov. 

Season-Ending Rosters may include up to 20 players. Season-Ending Rosters cannot include any players who did not sign an ECHL contract in 2022-23.Each team is entitled to reserve rights to a maximum of eight players from the list of 20 by extending a qualifying offer no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on July 7. Of the eight qualified players, no more than four can be veterans (260 regular season professional hockey games played as of the start of the 2023-24 Season). Players on open qualifying offers cannot be traded. Teams are not required to extend a qualifying offer to players who sign a contract prior to June 30.The qualifying offer must remain open for acceptance until 11:59 p.m. ET on July 22 at which time the qualifying offer becomes null and void and the team may sign the qualified player to any salary or may elect to take no further action. Teams that extend a valid qualifying offer to a non-veteran player shall retain the rights to that qualified player for one playing season.A team that extends a valid qualifying offer to a veteran player, or to a goaltender who has played more than 180 regular-season games, will retain the rights to that player until 11:59 p.m. ET on July 22. After July 22, if the veteran player or goaltender is not signed to a contract by the team, the veteran or goaltender shall be deemed a restricted free agent and shall be entitled to seek and secure offers of employment from other ECHL teams. Restricted free agents may not be traded. When a restricted free agent receives a contract offer from a team other than the team with the player’s rights and the restricted free agent wishes to accept the contract offer, the restricted free agent and the offering member must, within 24 hours, notify the ECHL, the team with the player’s rights and the Professional Hockey Players’ Association. The member with the player’s rights shall have seven days after the date it is notified to exercise its right to match the contract offer.If a restricted free agent is not signed to either an offer sheet or a contract by an ECHL team by 11:59 p.m. ET on August 8, the player shall be deemed an unrestricted free agent.