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CORALVILLE, Iowa — Former Luverne and University of Minnesota hockey player Jaxon Nelson has a new home. Nelson will be playing for the Iowa Heartlanders, a member club of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) affiliated with the National Hockey League’s Minnesota Wild.
The ECHL is a developmental league.
Jaxon Nelson makes his debut with a new hockey team Friday, Oct. 17, with the Iowa Heartlanders. (Contributed photo)
Earlier this year, Nelson was not tendered a qualifying offer from the NHL’s Boston Bruins.
As a result, the former Bruins prospect became an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
Nelson, a native of Magnolia in Rock County, eventually signed with the Heartlanders on Aug. 6.
During his time with the Bruins, Nelson scored his first professional goal on April 14, 2024, against Springfield.
In the 2024-25 season, he scored two goals and added seven assists in 35 games.
Nelson and the Heartlanders open the season on Friday, Oct. 17th versus Tulsa.
The first puck drops at 7 p.m. at Xtream Arena.
The Iowa Heartlanders are a member club of the East Coast Hockey League. (Contributed graphic)
The club also plays Tulsa at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19. The Heartlanders were 36-25-11 (83 points) last season, losing in the Central Division semifinals to Fort Wayne in a hard-fought, seven-game series.