2023-24 IOWA WILD SEASON PREVIEW

Oct 12, 2023

After earning the team’s second-ever playoff berth in 2022-23, the Iowa Wild enter the 2023-24 season with the goal of making another run at the postseason. While this year’s lineup features several new faces, many returning players are expected to figure prominently into the team’s success. This season preview covers everything Iowa Wild fans need to know, from the coaching staff through the goaltenders. 

COACHING STAFF 

On May 30, Minnesota Wild General Manager Bill Guerin announced that Brett McLean would take over head coaching duties for the Iowa Wild. McLean helped steer Minnesota to three consecutive Stanley Cup Playoff berths as an assistant coach for the club from 2020-23 and previously served as Iowa’s assistant coach from 2017-20. 

McLean also brings extensive professional playing experience to the table, having played 1,111 games across seven leagues (NHL, AHL, IHL, ECHL, SEL, Swiss-A and the Austrian League) in 18 seasons (1999-2007). McLean’s playing history, combined with his understanding of Minnesota’s system and expectations, enable him to speak directly to his players’ challenges and prepare them for the NHL. 

Iowa’s new bench boss is joined by new assistant coaches Ben Simon and Patrick Dwyer. Simon spent the previous eight seasons with the Grand Rapids Griffins, including five as the team’s head coach. He served as an assistant coach for Grand Rapids from 2015-18 and won a Calder Cup in 2017 before being promoted to head coach for the 2018-19 season. Dwyer began his coaching career in 2019-20 as an assistant coach with the Charlotte Checkers. He served as an assistant coach for the Chicago Wolves from 2020-23 and was a member of the Calder Cup-winning team in 2021-22.  Like McLean, both Simon and Dwyer bring sizeable professional playing experience to the table, and each should be able to communicate to players what it takes to deliver postseason success. 

OFFENSE 

Iowa brought back several scoring threats for 2023-24, but also upgraded offensively in the offseason. Nic Petan, the team’s leading scorer (23-39=62) in 2022-23, is back in the fold along with Adam Beckman, Steven Fogarty, Nick Swaney, and Sammy Walker.  

The Wild picked up several scoring threats over the summer, including Vinni Lettieri, who averaged over a point per game (48 GP, 23-26=49) with Providence in 2022-23. Jujhar Khaira, who spent the last six seasons in the NHL with Edmonton and…