What Do Iowa Wild Players Think About Living in Des Moines?
The state of Iowa is home to the minor league hockey team of the Minnesota Wild. The Iowa Wild began playing hockey in 2013-2014 and the team plays their home games at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. One of the biggest goals for this team is to develop young players to eventually play in St Paul, Minnesota, at the professional level.
The team is made up of 26 players, each of them hoping to one day make it into the NHL and wear a Minnesota Wild jersey. Some of these players are from America and have heard of Iowa before but then you have players like Adam Raska who grew up in the Frydek-Mistek, Czechia.
What do the Iowa Wild players think of Living in Des Moines? For some guys, the day they were drafted by the Wild was their first time hearing of Iowa's capital. The Wild social media team is one of the best in the business and they've put together an incredible video series, called "Becoming Wild."
Their latest video is all about our Iowa Wild.
This season hasn't gone exactly how the Wild would hope. They sit tied for last place in the central division with a record of 21-33-.3 Sadly, they've been doing a lot of losing this year.
While this season has been tough for the team, the players do seem to enjoy living in Des Moines. They've been a big part of growing the game of hockey in the state of Iowa.
According to the Iowa Events Center, the Iowa Wild has partnered with the Des Moines Youth Hockey Association. They've also made hundreds of donations to Iowa charities and have donated over $165,000 to the Des Moines community.
I always enjoy learning about the lives of minor league athletes. Whether they're hockey players, baseball players, or basketball players. The grind it takes to make it to the professional level is ridiculous. To get to see a small behind-the-scenes look into these guy's lives is really interesting, especially for any hockey fan.
Iowa Born Sports Stars
Gallery Credit: Johnny Marks
What Non-Iowans Think of Iowa
Gallery Credit: Johnny Marks