Heartlanders sign CHL Goaltender of the Year, Memorial Cup Champion Rousseau

Coralville, Iowa – Head Coach and General Manager Derek Damon announced Wednesday the Heartlanders have agreed to an ECHL contract with 2024 CHL Goaltender of the Year William Rousseau.

Rousseau boasted a 34-10-1 record in the QMJHL with Rouyn-Noranda Huskies last season, led the league with 34 wins, a  2.24 goals-against average and eight shutouts and finished second in the QMJHL with a .924 save percentage. He has topped the QMJHL in goals-against average each of the last two seasons. 

Rousseau participated at 2024 Minnesota Wild Development Camp in July.

In 2022-23, Rousseau won the CHL Memorial Cup with the Quebec Ramparts and earned a host of awards and recognitions; he was named the most-outstanding goaltender of the tournament and to the Memorial Cup All-Star Team. Additionally, Rousseau blistered the league with a 35-8-1 record (second in wins), 2.22 goals-against average (1^st in QMJHL) and .908 save percentage. 

You may have heard we made some big news in our final game of the 2023-24 season – our first-ever sellout in team history! That game featured a pre-game tailgate and fireworks (literally and figuratively) inside Xtream Arena, and we are going to recreate that high-energy, 5-star fan experience at 5 specific games during the 2024-25 season. Join the fun of those 5 experiences by purchasing our new 5-Star Ticket Package.

Full-season tickets are currently on sale, and deposits can be placed for 18-game plans, group outings, birthday parties, suites and the United Iowa Financial Party Plaza. Call 319-855-1775 to discuss options, or visit this link to make your plans for the 2024-25 season! 

Stay tuned to Iowa Heartlanders social media (@goheartlanders) for upcoming theme night announcements and promotional calendar updates. Sign up here to be notified by text message for team news and updates ahead of the start of the 2024-25 season. 

2024-25 roster

Goaltenders (1): William Rousseau

Defensemen (1): Jules Boscq

Forwards (5): Yuki Miura, Will Calverley, Jonny Sorenson, Adam Goodsir, Nico Blachman

Quotables

Head Coach & General Manager Derek Damon: “We believe William is going to have a long and successful professional career. He’s played in huge games, won a ton of QMJHL awards and helped carry his junior teams to wins on the biggest stages. We also value that he’s played over 130 games the last three seasons, which means he’s gotten a tremendous amount of experience as a number-one goaltender even though he’s still just 21 years old. We are excited for the Heartlanders to be a springboard for him and expect that he will be in the net for us in big moments this season.” 

Rousseau helped guide teams to the QMJHL playoffs in each of the last three seasons. Over a four-year career in the QMJHL, the 6-foot-1, 185-pound, left-handed catcher grabbed a 95-26-3 record, 2.35 goals-against average and .910 save percentage (10 shutouts). He won at least 20 games in a season three times. 

He is a native of Trois-Rivieres, Quebec. Rousseau’s grandfather, Bobby, was a four-time Stanley Cup champion and three-time NHL All Star with the Montreal Canadiens, recording 703 points in 942 games (15 seasons). Additionally, Bobby won a silver medal with Team Canada at the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, CA.