The Iowa Heartlanders will not be on the ice for the 2026-27 season, the team’s ownership group announced on Monday, after the ECHL Board of Governors approved the group’s request for “a voluntary suspension of operations.”
“This was an incredibly difficult decision that followed months of careful evaluation,” Michael Devlin, the team’s majority owner, said in a written statement. “Despite significant efforts to stabilize and strengthen the organization, we concluded that stepping back for a season is the most responsible course while we review long-term solutions.”
The Coralville-based minor hockey franchise, which plays its home games at the Xtream Arena, was launched in 2021. The ECHL formerly known as the East Coast Hockey League, is an AA development league. All its teams are affiliated with an NHL team. The Heartlanders are affiliated the Minnesota Wild. The Minnesota team is also affiliated with the Iowa Wild, the American Hockey League team in Des Moines.
The Heartlanders posted losing records for its first three seasons, before winning 36 games in the 2024-25 season and making the playoffs for the first time. (The team was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Fort Wayne Komets.)
The team has faced challenges filling seats in addition to the challenges it has faced on the ice. Despite 2024-25 being the Heartlander’s most successful season, the team had the lowest average attendance in the ECHL.
The current ECHL season was briefly interrupted in late December by a four-day strike due to a dispute over a new collective bargaining agreement between the league and the Professional Hockey Players’ Association.
The Heartlanders have eight home games left this season. Currently they rank 28th in the 30-team ECHL, with 19 wins and 30 losses.
In its statement on Monday, the Heartlanders ownership group said it “will evaluate strategic alternatives aimed at ensuring a sustainable long-term future,” which include “potential investment or ownership partnerships that support the continued success of the franchise.”
Editor’s note: This story has been updated because the previous version misstated the number of home games remaining the Heartlanders’ season. Little Village regrets the error.
