As some of you may know, I spent a lot of time during the baseball off season attending hockey games, especially at the Iowa Heartlander’s inaugural season. It was very special being part of a fanbase that was just beginning, and I had a goal of attending one of their games on the road. However because of the weather, it can be tough planning a game on the road during the winter time in Iowa. I had some extra days off of work that I needed to use, and the schedule looked perfect to attend one last game in April, right at the beginning of baseball season. It was even better when I saw that the Texas Rangers were at home during the same dates.
The thing I love about hockey compared to baseball, is that I’m somewhat new to learning the sport. I’m a very big fan of the sport, and how tough the sport is. I find myself constantly comparing hockey to baseball, especially with learning the rules of the game. The other thing I love about hockey, is that I’m able to be more of a fan towards one team, compared to being more neutral in baseball. This entire season has been a learning experience for me, especially with seeing the very beginning of a brand new team.
I’m pretty familiar with the Allen area. I used to live close by, and was in the area often, but never attended an American’s game. I would always go into Dallas to a Stars game, which is about 20 minutes away. However, the Americans aren’t affiliated with the Stars, they’re affiliated with the Seattle Kraken. The interesting scenario going into the weekend, was that the Americans needed to win in order to get in the playoffs ahead of the Dallas Stars affiliate, the Idaho Steelheads. The Heartlanders were already eliminated from the playoffs.
The Americans started off strong in this game with an early goal. One of the features I loved about this arena, was the red lighting after a goal, and during the player introductions. After a quiet second period, the Heartlanders came out strong with two goals, and ended up giving up the game tying goal on the power play. After a tough penalty, the Americans ended up winning in overtime. It was a tough last game of the season, but I still had a great time at the game, along with the entire season. My goal is to make it to more hockey arenas in the 2022-2023 season, and share them during the baseball off season. The parts of the season that overlap are perfect to work in with baseball games. It can always be tough going into an away venue with the other team’s jersey on, but I’m glad I did. There were some players/coaches that noticed, and were genuinely happy that someone was there to watch their team. This fanbase in the Iowa City/Coralville area will keep growing, and it will be a great thing to watch. I’m looking forward to watching the Heartlanders play for many seasons in the future, as I’ve found my new off season hobby.
If you’re in the Allen area, there are a lot of things to do around this arena. It’s located right in the middle of a shopping/restaurant area, and there are a lot of hotels nearby. If you’re flying into the DFW area, Allen is a long drive from both airports, and a rental car is almost necessary to get around. I would consider Allen one of the nicest cities in the entire DFW metroplex, along with the surrounding cities. There are many things to do in this area, and you could easily make a four day trip in Dallas with things to do. Inside of the arena, I really liked their team store. I love the logo/branding of the team, and the fanbase was very friendly, even to someone with the opposing team’s jersey on. They sell the big 25 oz beer cans, and everything was very reasonably priced. Attending a game in Allen is definitely a great alternative for families in the area that don’t want to make the drive to a Stars game, and still have a great hockey game experience. As always, I’ll have all of the pictures below. Make sure to check out the YouTube video at the top of this post, and click the SeatGeek picture, and use the discount code APGAMING to save $20 off your first SeatGeek order!
My next trip is scheduled for 4/30-5/1 in Charlotte and Durham, NC. Another trip announcement will be coming soon!
AP Ballparks 