Heartlanders and Nailers square off again Friday

Coralville, Iowa – The Iowa Heartlanders, proud ECHL affiliate of the Minnesota Wild and Iowa Wild, seek their second straight win against the Wheeling Nailers Friday at 6:35 p.m. The Heartlanders have two games left this weekend, both against Wheeling. 

In Wednesday’s 3-2 overtime victory, Ben Brinkman scored at 3:50 of the extra session to seal a come-from-behind win for Iowa. Wednesday was the first one-goal game of the season series. Kyle Masters and Evan Boucher also tallied. Iowa trailed 1-0 in the opening five minutes, but allowed one goal the rest of the game. 

The Heartlanders won their 23^rd game of the season Wednesday, more wins than they had all of last season. Wheeling sits at 32-24-2-1 (67 points), good for second in the Central Division. Indy (66 points), Fort Wayne (65 points) and Kalamazoo (63 points) are hot on the Nailers’ heels. The top-four teams in each division qualify for the 2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs.

The Heartlanders have 11 home games left in the regular season. Wheeling is in the midst of a five-game road trip that started last week against Fort Wayne. 

The teams square off for the final time this season Saturday at 6:05 p.m. for St. Hat Trick’s Day, pres. by DASH Auctions. 

Tickets are available for all home games by visiting iowaheartlanders.com and calling 319-569-4625 

Get tickets for Heartlanders Home games: Iowaheartlanders.com/tickets

 

Game Day Guide: 

5:35 PM: Doors Open

6:25 PM: Be In Your Seats For Pregame Show 

6:35 PM: Puck Drop

Watch on FloHockey: https://flosports.link/3tVsLmd

Listen on Mixlr: mixlr.com/goheartlanders

 

Bag Policy: Xtream Arena will implement a clear bag policy for all ticketed events.  A clear 12” x 6” x 12” bag or smaller will be permitted as well as small clutch style purses or wallets. Patrons will be asked to return any bag that does not meet this criteria to their vehicle prior to entry. Diaper bags or medical bags are allowed to exceed that size limit, but will be searched. Small clutch style purses or wallets no larger than 4.5” x 6.5” are permitted as well.

Parking: Parking is available in the South Parking Lot located by the Hyatt Regency Convention Center Entrance or the North Ramp located by the Hyatt Regency main entrance. All Heartlanders ticket buyers receive a parking pass for free parking to Heartlanders games. For a parking map, click here. For questions about the Heartlanders parking, please call 319-569-4625 or visit this link.

Affiliates: Iowa Heartlanders (Minnesota Wild/Iowa Wild) | Wheeling Nailers (Pittsburgh Penguins/Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins)

Need to know

- Wednesday’s overtime win was Iowa’s first ever OT victory against Wheeling. Iowa is 4-0-2-0 ever in one-goal decisions vs. Wheeling.

- Nico Blachman registered his first fighting major with Iowa Wednesday and was a “plus” on the Heartlanders’ opening goal, dishing through center ice to lead a rush that Evan Boucher deposited for his first of the season. Blachman has 124 penalty minutes this season.

- Iowa trails Cincinnati by two points for sixth in the Central Division.

More Roster Moves

The Heartlanders announced two more roster moves Thursday – forward Jack Perbix has agreed to his first professional contract and goaltender Peyton Jones signed a professional tryout with the Iowa Wild. 

The right-handed shot Perbix is a former fourth-round draft pick of the Anaheim Ducks (116^th overall). He played three years at the University of Minnesota (2019-22), last season at Western Michigan (career-best six goals and 19 points) and this campaign with Northern Michigan (1g, 4 pts., 35 PIM). 

Jones tops Iowa with ten wins this season. He is second on the team with a .901 save percentage and 3.19 goals-against average. The fourth-year professional was named to the 2024 ECHL All-Star Classic in January. 

Season Series

Iowa earned its first home victory of the season series against Wheeling Wednesday and the Heartlanders are 1-2-0-0 vs. the Nailers at Xtream Arena this season.

Louis Boudon leads Iowa with four series points (1g). Wheeling’s Tanner Laderoute has scored five goals to lead all players in the series. 

The teams combined for 36 penalty minutes Wednesday, bringing the season-series total to 84 through five games. Wheeling’s Peter Laviolette has 19 of those PIM, most of any player.

Next up

The Heartlanders are next at home to take on the Wheeling Nailers Mar. 15 and Mar. 16 at Xtream Arena. March 16th is St. Hat Trick’s Day, featuring a Heartlanders Mascot Dash Bobblehead giveaway to the first 500 fans, theme jerseys available for auction and a special appearance by the Kelly Cup, the ECHL’s championship trophy. 

On Fri., Mar. 22 at 6:35 p.m., the Heartlanders oppose the Wichita Thunder in the 100th home game in team history, featuring $5 youth tickets (online only, with purchase of adult ticket). 

Sat., Mar. 23 at 6:05 p.m. is Heartland Heroes Night against Wichita, honoring the frontline workers that selflessly serve eastern Iowa. 

On Sun., Mar. 24 at 2:05 p.m., Iowa wraps up the weekend against Wichita with Faith and Family Day, a team photo giveaway, and the final postgame skate of the season. 

Join the fun at Xtream Arena in the 2023-24 season

Here are some of the best options to make sure you experience the family-friendly entertainment of Heartlanders Hockey at Xtream Arena this season!

Flex Plans: Enjoy the service, savings and game dates that work best for you! Flex plans include “any game” ticket vouchers that are good for any home game during the 2023-24 regular season.  

12-game plans: Grab tickets to your favorite 12 games! 12-game plans include savings on individually-priced tickets!

Group Tickets: Make a big impact with your group and spend an evening with the Heartlanders. Starting at a special rate of $15/Ticket. A group comprises 10 or more people and is perfect for parties, families, co-workers, clients and more.

Season Ticket Memberships now available for 2024-25 season

Deposits now available for new season ticket holders: The Heartlanders are excited to welcome new season ticket members to our family for the 2024-25 season and deposits for tickets are now available. Call 319-855-1775 and visit https://iowaheartlanders.com/tickets/season-memberships to start your easy process to becoming a Rose Club Season Ticket Member.

Renewal Process: The Heartlanders have started the renewal process for full season plans (Rose Club memberships) for the 2024-25 season, and the renewal application is now available online here. Once you log in, simply click “Season Renewal Application” under the “My Tickets” tab on the right, then complete the process. Our sales representatives are available to help with the renewal process by calling 319-855-1775. You can also stop by the Mediacom Season Ticket Table behind section 109 at any future game to secure your seat for the 2024-2025 season. 

The Heartlanders have added new seating options for the 2024-25 season, debuting Attack Zone Lower, Attack Zone Upper, Defense Zone, and Corner sections to allow fans additional price points to fit their budget. 

To retain your seats for the 2024-25 season, a $50 deposit per seat must be made by March 24. On March 25, all seats without deposits will be released and available for purchase by new season ticket holders.