Iowa Wild
Current2025–26 AHL season
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TeamIowa Wild
CityDes Moines, Iowa
LeagueAmerican Hockey League
ConferenceWestern
DivisionCentral
Founded1994 (IHL)
Operated2013–present
ArenaCasey's Center
ColorsForest green, Iron Range red, harvest gold, Minnesota wheat, white
OwnerMinnesota Sports and Entertainment
GmMatt Hendricks[1]
CaptainBen Jones
MediaFanduel Sports Network North
KXNO
AHL.TV (Internet)
AffiliatesMinnesota Wild (NHL)
Jacksonville Icemen (ECHL)
Name 1Houston Aeros
Dates 11994–2013
Name 2Iowa Wild
Dates 22013–present

The Iowa Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in Des Moines, Iowa. They are the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Wild play their home games at Casey's Center.

The team was formerly the Houston Aeros, in Houston, Texas, before being relocated to Des Moines, beginning with the 2013–14 AHL season as the Iowa Wild.[2][3] The Wild is the second AHL team based in Des Moines following the Iowa Stars, which had been the Dallas Stars' AHL affiliate from 2005 until 2008 (in the team's final season (2008–09), they were known as the Iowa Chops and were affiliated with the Anaheim Ducks).

The affiliation between the two Wild franchises is the first of two between Twin Cities area franchises and Iowa minor league franchises, as the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association and the Iowa Wolves of the NBA G League also share an affiliation.

History

The Iowa Wild franchise began as the Houston Aeros, a 1994 expansion team in the International Hockey League (IHL) that played out of the Compaq Center. The Aeros were one of six IHL teams to join the American Hockey League (AHL) in 2001 when the IHL folded. Upon joining the AHL, the Aeros affiliated with the National Hockey League's one-year-old expansion team, the Minnesota Wild. The AHL version of the Aeros won the 2003 Calder Cup and also reached the 2011 Calder Cup finals, but lost to the Binghamton Senators. In 2003, the majority ownership of the franchise was sold to Minnesota Sports and Entertainment, the ownership group of the Wild, while former owner Chuck Watson retained a 10% minority share along with Houston native Nick Sheppard holding a 4% share. The team then moved home games to the new Toyota Center.[4]

On April 18, 2013, the Minnesota Wild announced that Minnesota Sports and Entertainment were unable to reach a lease agreement with the Toyota Center, and the Aeros would be relocated to Des Moines, Iowa, beginning with the 2013–14 season with home games at Wells Fargo Arena.[5] The Iowa Wild inaugural season was opened on October 12 with a 1–0 win over the Oklahoma City Barons. The opening night attendance was 10,200.[6] The team failed to make the playoffs for its first five seasons.

On February 22, 2018, the Minnesota Wild extended their contract through 2023.[7] In 2019, the team reached the playoffs for the first time since relocating from Houston, reaching the division finals and losing to the Chicago Wolves in six games. The following 2019–20 season was then curtailed by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic with the Wild holding second place in the division and no playoffs were held. The 2020–21 season was then delayed due to the pandemic, with a shortened season held and no Calder Cup playoffs.

Season-by-season results

Regular seasonPlayoffsAverage
attendance[8]
SeasonGamesWonLostOTLSOLPointsPCTGoals
for		Goals
against		StandingYearPrelims1st
round		2nd
round		3rd
round		Finals
2013–147627367667.4411692355th, Midwest2014Did not qualify5,883
2014–157623492250.3291722455th, Midwest2015Did not qualify5,659
2015–167624415659.3881692258th, Central2016Did not qualify5,846
2016–177636317281.5331821966th, Central2017Did not qualify6,019
2017–1876332710682.5392322465th, Central2018Did not qualify6,153
2018–197637268587.5722422303rd, Central2019—W, 3–2, MILL, 2–4, CHI——6,409
2019–206337184482.6511941712nd, Central2020Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic6,351
2020–213417134038.5591071134th, Central2021No playoffs were held3,273[9]
2021–227232314573.5072022096th, Central2022Did not qualify5,435
2022–237234276579.5492112114th, Central2023L, 0–2 RFD————6,296
2023–247227374462.4311842456th, Central2024Did not qualify6,401
2024–257227376262.4312012516th, Central2025Did not qualify6,237

Players

Current roster

Updated March 6, 2026.[10]

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Team captains

Franchise records and leaders

Scoring leaders

These are the top-ten point-scorers for the Iowa Wild in the AHL. Figures are updated after each completed season.[11]

Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; = current Iowa player

Points
PlayerPosGPGAPtsP/G
Kyle RauC24488111199.81
Sam AnasC25972125197.76
Gerald MayhewRW2289781178.78
Zack MitchellRW2506666132.53
Cal O'ReillyC14231100131.92
Mason ShawC1974378121.61
Brennan MenellD19915101116.58
Adam BeckmanLW1815751108.60
Marco RossiC1163470104.90
Colton BeckLW3194163104.33

References

  1. ^ "Hendricks named new GM of Iowa Wild". theahl. May 15, 2024.
  2. ^ "Wild AHL Affiliate Moving To Iowa". Minnesota Wild. 2013-04-18. Retrieved 2013-04-18.
  3. ^ Birch, Tommy & Leistikow, Chad (2013-04-18). "Is Des Moines ready to try pro hockey again?". Des Moines Register. Retrieved 2013-04-18.[dead link]
  4. ^ "Relocation Likely if Aeros Can't Get A New Lease Deal at Toyota Center". Houston Chronicle. January 18, 2013.
  5. ^ "It's official: Aeros hockey team leaving Houston at end of season". ABC13. April 19, 2013.
  6. ^ As former sole owner of the team, Chuck Watson owns the rights to the Aeros name, prompting the name change."Wild statement on AHL affiliate". Houston Aeros. 2013-04-18. Archived from the original on June 15, 2013. Retrieved 2013-04-18.
  7. ^ Wild, Iowa. "FIVE YEARS IN: JUST GETTING STARTED | Iowa Wild". www.iowawild.com. Retrieved 2018-08-13.
  8. ^ "Iowa Wild yearly attendance". HockeyDB. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  9. ^ Reduced capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  10. ^ "Iowa Wild Roster". American Hockey League. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  11. ^ "Iowa Wild - All Time AHL leaders". hockeydb.com. April 20, 2024. Retrieved April 20, 2024.