ECHL: Iowa Heartlanders Key Assistant Leaves for NAHL Job

Originally posted on Inside The Rink | By Max Baum | Last updated 5/13/24

St. Cloud, Minnesota—On May 13th, the St. Cloud Norsemen of the NAHL announced that Joe Exter will be taking over as head coach and general manager of their team, effective immediately. With this, the Iowa Heartlanders’ search for a new associate head coach and assistant will begin immediately.

Welcome new Head Coach/GM Joe Exter
“I am thankful for the opportunity to lead the Norsemen. We will be driven by a team first environment that will be the foundation we lean on to achieve all goals throughout the season." Read the full release at https://t.co/RgHxRXZ6V7 pic.twitter.com/olnBlfYKIb
— St. Cloud Norsemen (@StCloudNorsemen) May 13, 2024

The NAHL is a US-based junior hockey league with 32 teams across 20 states and three more teams set to begin operations for the 2024-25 season.

Exter is known in many professional hockey circles for being the victim of a brutal collision in a college game in 2003. However, after playing two seasons for the Wheeling Nailers, he retired from hockey to pursue coaching and has accumulated a strong resume through 18 years of coaching, including assistant jobs for the US junior national team, Cedar Rapids Roughriders, Ohio State University, and Michigan State University. His experience with pre-professional hockey should give him a head start against the competition.

The Iowa Heartlanders will begin looking for their third associate head coach in their four years of operation. High turnover in this role indicates that the team’s hockey operations are highly sought after. Derek Damon was promoted to the Head Coach and General Manager Role after the 2021-22 season. Last week’s decision to extend Damon’s contract offered the team the ability to have a quick start on this search.

This article first appeared on Inside The Rink and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: