Patrick Williams, TheAHL.com Features Writer
The Iowa Wild’s 2023-24 season wrapped up more than three months ago, with a 3-2 win at Chicago to cap a 3-0-0-1 run – a nice ending to a season that saw the club miss the Calder Cup Playoffs for the seventh time in nine tries.
Since then, the parent Minnesota Wild have been busy.
On May 15, Matt Hendricks was named the new general manager of the Iowa club. Hendricks, who had served as the Wild’s assistant director of player development since 2019, will be responsible for the day-to-day hockey operations in Des Moines. The 43-year-old Minnesota native played five seasons in the AHL before scratching out 607 games in the NHL skating for the Avalanche, Capitals, Predators, Oilers, Jets and Wild.
On June 21 came a trade with the New Jersey Devils that brought AHL All-Star forward Graeme Clarke to the organization in exchange for forward Adam Beckman. The move represents a fresh start for the 23-year-old Clarke, who made his NHL debut last season and is coming off back-to-back 25-goal seasons with Utica. If he does not stick in Minnesota, then Iowa could certainly use that type of production after finishing 31st in the AHL in scoring in 2023-24.
The Iowa coaching staff also got a new look when Nathan McIver was hired as an assistant on July 9. McIver, a shutdown defenseman over an 11-year playing career that included 508 games in the AHL, moved into coaching after he retired in 2016 and spent last season with the Belleville Senators. On head coach Brett McLean’s staff, he will be tasked with guiding a young Iowa blue line that could again feature prospects Carson Lambos, Daemon Hunt, Ryan O’Rourke and David Spacek, among others.
Hendricks is not easing into his new post. While there is a mandate to churn out prospects for future work in Minnesota, the organization is looking to put a winner in Iowa as well. As free agency opened earlier this month, several established players were brought in on two-way NHL deals to provide much needed depth.
In net there is Troy Grosenick, who spent last season mentoring Yaroslav Askarov in Milwaukee and could wind up similarly complementing Jesper Wallstedt with the Wild. On defense, the Wild added experience in Joseph Cecconi and Cam Crotty. And up front, there should be plenty of competition for jobs in Minnesota, be it in training camp or during the season when recall opportunities arise. Brendan Gaunce earned a two-year deal with the Wild after captaining the Cleveland Monsters to the conference finals in 2023-24. Devin Shore is trying to push his way back into an NHL roster spot after splitting this past season between Seattle and Coachella Valley. Ben Jones scored a team-high 21 goals for the Calgary Wranglers last season. Reese Johnson and Travis Boyd joined the organization on two-way contracts after spending all of 2023-24 in the NHL.
During his playing days, Hendricks built a reputation as a top dressing-room presence both at the AHL and NHL levels. If any of those veterans land with Iowa, they can provide the sort of leadership that young prospects require. They also up the standard for everyone competing for a job, and will help ease some of the burden placed on prospects trying to learn the pro game.
Battle for a job in Minnesota. If that does not pan out right away, go to Iowa, help the prospects, and win some games.
“I think players driving, earning their own opportunity, is important,” Hendricks said. “But I firmly believe that this is a developmental league. Patience is extremely important with our young prospects.”
Hendricks, a 2000 fifth-round pick by Nashville, played for six different AHL clubs before finally reaching the National Hockey League. For all of those incoming additions hoping to win playing time with Minnesota, he knows quite well what the battle is like. He did not become an NHL regular until he was 28.
All of those faces, be they young prospects or established veterans, have an example right in front of them that there is always hope.
“Every player’s timeline is different,” Hendricks said. “There is no fast-forward button.”
On the American Hockey League beat for two decades, TheAHL.com features writer Patrick Williams also currently covers the league for NHL.com and FloSports and is a regular contributor on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio. He was the recipient of the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for his outstanding coverage of the league in 2016.
