Iowa Chops

Are you a big fan of professional hockey?   The state of Iowa is the home of the American Hockey League team the Iowa Chops.  The Chops play out of the Wells Fargo Arena in downtown Des Moines, Iowa. 

History of the Iowa Chops

AHL hockey originally came to the state of Iowa for the 2005-2006 season, where the team played as the Iowa Stars.  The teams name came from their NHL affiliate, the Dallas Stars.   After 3 seasons including a successful run to the playoffs, the team was then moved to Texas to be closer to their parent team, leaving Iowa without an AHL team.

On July 9, 2008, the team announced that they are now affiliated with the Anaheim Ducks; however, this time they would not take their parent teams name.   The name Iowa Chops was given to provide a unique and localized name that the state could rally behind.

“We really feel this name perfectly represents our vision of the new team,” team owner Kirby Schlegel, CEO of Schlegel Sports, said in a statement. “It illustrates Iowa’s agricultural heritage while also playing into the definition of chops, having nerve, resilience and staying power.   The word chops can mean continually defeating someone, and that is the reputation we expect Iowa’s new team to gain in the league.”