Iowa Wild The Iowa Wild is an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League , that began play for the 2013 - 14 season . The team plays at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines , Iowa , as the AHL affiliate of the NHL ' s Minnesota Wild . Head Coach Kurt Kliendorst was fired on November 10 , 2014 after a 2 - 10 start to the season The team was previously known as the Houston Aeros , calling Houston , Texas , home and most recently playing at the Toyota Center . On April 18 , 2013 , it was announced that the Aeros would be moving to Des Moines , beginning with the 2013 - 14 AHL season and be known as the Iowa Wild . The Wild is the second AHL team to call Des Moines and the Wells Fargo Arena home ; the city previously was home to the Iowa Stars , which had been the Dallas Stars ' AHL affiliate from 2005 until 2008 ( in the team ' s final season in 2009 , they were known as the Iowa Chops and were affiliated with the Anaheim Ducks ) . History . Houston Heritage . The Houston Aeros were an expansion team in the International Hockey League in 1994 . The team ' s name is a homage to the Houston Aeros of the World Hockey Association in the 1970s , one of the teams Gordie Howe played for in the WHA . The Aeros were the second IHL team to be named after a WHA franchise , the first being the Phoenix Roadrunners ; unlike the Roadrunners , who used the same logo as their WHA predecessor , the IHL Aeros used a new logo , a bomber flying over the team name ( essentially their current logo ) based on the Boeing B - 17 or B - 25 Mitchell . The Aeros would defeat the Orlando Solar Bears to win the 1999 Turner Cup , following an impressive 54 - win season . The Aeros were one of six IHL teams to join the American Hockey League ( AHL ) in 2001 when the IHL folded . The AHL version of the Aeros would go on to win the 2003 Calder Cup ; they would reach the 2011 Calder Cup finals as well but lost to the Binghamton Senators . They served as the AHL affiliate of the Minnesota Wild and were affiliated with the ECHL revival of the Orlando Solar Bears for the 2012 – 13 season . The team played their home games in the Toyota Center , which they moved to from the Compaq Center for the 2003 – 04 season . In 2003 , the Aeros replaced their original bomber logo , carried over from their IHL days , to a new logo featuring a forward - facing modern fighter jet below a bold " AEROS " , and using the WHA Aeros ' colors of light and dark blue . In 2005 , as part of their affiliation with the Wild , the Aeros changed their colors to the Wild ' s forest green and Iron Range red . This new logo was not popular with many of the long - term fans . On April 18 , 2006 , the team announced that the 2006 – 07 season would see the Aeros return to their original bomber logo associated with their championship seasons , with only minor color alterations ; the blue elements of the original logo were replaced with green . The principal owner was Minnesota Sports and Entertainment , with Chuck Watson , the former owner , owning a 10 % minority share along with Houston Native , Nick Sheppard , holding a 4 % share . In Iowa . On April 18 , 2013 , the Minnesota Wild announced that Minnesota Sports and Entertainment were unable to reach a lease agreement with the Toyota Center , and the Aeros would be relocated to Des Moines , Iowa beginning with the 2013 – 14 season and play their home games in Wells Fargo Arena . The Iowa Wild inaugural season was opened on October 12 with a win , 1 - 0 , over the Oklahoma City Barons . The opening night attendance was 10 , 200 . { AHL } }