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Last week, when the Iowa Wild released their schedule for the 2025-26 season, my buddies and I exchanged a series of quick emails, just as we do every summer around this time. “Okay, fellas, here are our weekends to choose from. Which one should we pick?” “I’d be fine with x, y, or z, but would prefer x.” The others quickly chime in, “X sounds great to me!” And just like that, for the 10th season in a row, we put another Iowa Wild road trip on the calendar. As you’d expect with a trip that has become an annual tradition, we have our routines and favorite spots to eat and enjoy a beverage, or several. Des Moines has plenty to offer in both departments (more on that in a bit). With the easy jaunt down I-35 (formerly known as the Zucker Expressway) from the Twin Cities, I can’t recommend it enough if you’re looking for a fun way to burn a few days during hockey season. The Way The key is to go down on a weekend with back-to-back home games. If mid-week is your thing, there are usually a few of those, too. The AHL schedules a good chunk of back-to-backs each season, and they’re usually against the same team, which gives the weekend a college hockey vibe in the sense that what gets started on the ice on Friday usually gets picked right back up on Saturday. For example, I’ve seen one goalie fight in person, which occurred on a Saturday afternoon in Des Moines. At the center of it all, of course, is that we all love hockey, and we are all Minnesota Wild supporters. Iowa might not be known as a hockey hotbed. While there hasn’t been a lot of good AHL hockey played in Des Moines the past few seasons, there’s something special about getting the opportunity to view the organization’s prospects firsthand and evaluate them for yourself. Over the years, we’ve seen players like Marco Rossi, Matt Boldy, Brandon Duhaime, Connor Dewar, and Mason Shaw blossom into NHL-caliber players. We’ve also watched players like Adam Beckman and Calen Addison fail to do so. We’ve seen guys like Gerry Mayhew and Sam Anas absolutely dominate games in the AHL; true legends of Des Moines, even if they were never able to stick in the NHL. We’ve seen how reliable veteran players like Kyle Rau, Cal O’Reilly, or J.T. Brown are capable of stabilizing the game when things get frenzied, and how clearly you can see the difference between players who are true professionals and those who are still learning how to be. The Rink The Casey’s Center is where the Iowa Wild call home. However, until about a week ago, it was known as Wells Fargo Arena. The building itself holds about 17,000, though the upper deck is usually closed off. A weekend game is likely to draw 8,000 to 9,000 fans, while weekday games get a bit less. As far as AHL arenas go, this one is top-notch. It opened in 2005, making it newer than Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul. It also hosts NBA G-League and Indoor Football League games. The sightlines are great, you can hear the sounds from the ice pretty well, and the in-game entertainment is usually on point. And, the bathroom lines are a dream compared to what we’re used to in St. Paul. The Fun Some of you might be reading this and saying, “Yeah, but it’s minor league hockey.” Well, with minor league hockey comes minor league prices; good tickets cost less, and so do the concessions. Friday nights at the Casey’s Center are $2 beer nights, and Saturday has 2-for-1 Confluence beers and cheap cocktails. There are also specials at other times throughout the week. The food concessions aren’t amazing, but they’re not bad, either. There are promotions, from free hats to random swag to the elusive bobblehead. I am the proud owner of both Calen Addison and John Torchetti bobbleheads. (Sadly, I missed out on Justin Kloos, which haunts me to this day.) There’s Chuck-a-Puck every second intermission, and a whole bunch of free stuff throughout the concourse. While AHL hockey might lack the polish and skill fans are used to seeing in the NHL, it more than makes up for it in flair. There are more comebacks, more momentum swings, and loads of animosity. AHL teams play a lot more inter-division games, and so the rivalries are real. You know when you watch an NHL game, and two depth guys start getting into a fierce battle that seemingly pops up out of nowhere? Well, there’s a decent chance those guys have beef dating back to the minors. Players in the AHL care just as much as NHL players, and some care a whole lot more. Young players are trying to make it to the NHL, veterans are trying to return, and everyone is trying to hold onto their spot in the AHL or take someone else’s. Hockey fans eat that stuff up. Every one of us has our favorite unheralded prospect; some dark horse that’s not getting the hype the blue-chippers do, but who we swear is going to turn some heads and make it to The Show. Odds are, that guy is going to be in Iowa at some point. Away From the Rink Fans from out of town have to find ways to occupy their time when they’re not watching the games. Over the years, my buddies and I have become quite adept at being Kings of Des Moines for a weekend. Most of the best places are walkable from downtown, and the ones that aren’t are well worth the trip. If you’re planning to take your own Iowa Wild road trip, here are some spots to consider. Eat/Drink Exile Brewing: One of my favorite breweries anywhere. My buddies and I call it the New Glarus of Iowa, because you can’t get Exile anywhere else. They have a full kitchen and bar, too, and the food is excellent. https://www.exilebrewing.com/ El Bait Shop: One of the best beer selections you’ll find anywhere. Well over a hundred beers on tap, including ciders, seltzers, and even gluten-free beer options. The food is okay, but it’s there if you need it. https://elbaitshop.com/ Lua Brewing: Another solid brewery with a full menu that’s a bit more elevated than you’d expect to find at a brewery. https://luabeer.com/ Fong’s Pizza: A Chinese pizza place (yes, you read that right) that has a bunch of pizza varieties that you’ve heard of, and a bunch more that you haven’t. Plus, it’s open late. https://fongspizza.com/ Mi Patria Ecuadorian Restaurant: This is technically in West Des Moines, but I slipped it in here because it’s some of the best food I’ve ever eaten, period. https://mipatriadsm.com/ Ricochet: A game room/bar with ping pong, pool, darts, and shuffleboard, plus FREE bubble hockey, ski ball, foosball, and cornhole. https://www.ricochetsocial.com/games Court Ave. to Walnut St., between 3rd St. and 4th St.: Listen, some of these places aren’t pretty (my buddies and I call it “Bro Alley”), but if you’re looking for a party bar, you’ll find one here. Late-night taco trucks: Stumble upon one. Purchase tacos. Profit. Honorable mentions: Hessen Haus, High Life Lounge, Olympic Flame Restaurant Know of any spots I missed? Throw them in the comments. Coffee/Breakfast Daisy Chain Coffee: Small place, great coffee. https://www.daisychaincoffee.com/ Northern Vessel: Excellent coffee, accompanied by donuts and pastries, but you have to arrive early to snag them (which can be challenging if you visit some of the establishments I listed above). https://www.northernvessel.com/ Gateway Market: Great restaurant with counter ordering for breakfast and lunch, plus a solid grocery store that also has a top-notch beer selection for when you want to bring some Iowa beer home. https://www.gatewaymarket.com/ Gifts/Shopping East Village: Need something to bring home to your kids, or to smooth things over with your significant other after you abandoned them for a weekend of tomfoolery and minor league hockey? Head across the river from downtown to the East Village to hit up some of the great shops there. There are also plenty of good food and beverage options that way, and it’s a short walk to the Iowa State Capitol. Raygun: This is one of the better gift shops you’ll find, and all of our wives are proud owners of numerous items purchased here. Raygun offers a wide range of merchandise that's sure to appeal to all tastes. It’s worth walking through and getting a few good laughs from some of the creative content they have. https://www.raygunsite.com/collections/city-des-moines Allspice Culinarium: Des Moines’ answer to Penzey’s has every spice you can think of, plus tons of hot sauces and other items. https://allspiceonline.com/ Kin: My wife likes the things I’ve bought for her from here. Enough said. https://www.kindsm.com/collections Other Stuff to Do Because you can’t spend all your time eating and drinking. Well, you probably shouldn’t, anyway. Pappajohn Sculpture Park: Some pretty cool stuff, and some pretty weird stuff. It’s near Exile, too, so, you know. https://desmoinesartcenter.org/visit/pappajohn-sculpture-park/ Des Moines Art Center: This is a legitimately solid art museum with a cool layout. https://desmoinesartcenter.org/ World Food Prize Hall of Laureates: A cool historic building not far from the arena that you can walk around in for free, or pay for a guided tour. Tons of cool stuff to look at. https://www.halloflaureates.org/ --------------- So, want to see which prospects take a big step this season, or which of the new depth additions looks to be first in line for a callup? Get your friends together, peruse the Iowa Wild schedule, and put something on the calendar. It might not be a tropical beach somewhere, but it’s not a bad way to spend a weekend during the season. Not bad at all.