Two weeks ago, the Anaheim Ducks' prospects were looking for an AHL Eastern Conference championship. The title escaped them but those prospects eventually found a new Western Conference home. The Anaheim Ducks announced Tuesday in Des Moines that their American Hockey League affiliate will begin play in Iowa this fall. The franchise will replace the "Iowa Stars" team that ended the affiliation with their parent club Dallas in April.

“The AHL will be back,” Kirby Schlegel, founder and chairman of the team’s ownership group assured the conference attendees. “There was some controversy surrounding that but our intention is to stay here and we plan on being here for a long time.” Schlegel furthermore announced that the new team name and logo will be unveiled within the next month.

Ducks General Manager, Brian Burke, was on hand with Senior V.P. of Hockey Operations Bob Murray and ownership representative Jillian Samueli to introduce their brand of hockey to the Iowans on hand. “We take our American Hockey League affiliate very seriously” advised Burke. “We believe in Des Moines as a hockey market. We think this is a very important step for the continued excellence of our franchise.”

The announcement marks Anaheim's fourth AHL affiliation since the club's inception in 1993. The scene in Des Moines was similar to that in 2005 when then-Interim Ducks GM, Al Coates introduced the Portland Pirates as Anaheim's AHL affiliate moving the Ducks prospects from Cincinnati. The Pirates had the best success of Anaheim's developmental affiliates celebrating two Atlantic Division Championships in their three years and advancing to a Game Seven to their conference final in 2006 and 2008.

Anaheim’s ownership changed in the summer of 2005 and new owners Henry and Susan Samueli had since wanted to move their minor league prospects closer to home. Rumors of bringing the AHL club back west began as whispers in 2007, grew louder in the midst of the 2007-08 season, and essentially remained unceasing until Schlegel and Burke signed the dotted line on the two-year deal in front of local media and season ticket holders.

In May, Burke announced that the team's ECHL affiliation would be moved from Augusta, Georgia to Bakersfield, CA. The Samuelis have publicly expressed that it was in the interest of ownership to move the Ducks AHL club to their home state as well. However, the economic and geographic state of the American Hockey League would not efficiently support a move to California so soon.

So will the Ducks be staying in Des Moines or will they be flying west sooner than later? Burke advised that they’ll see how these next two seasons work first. “We have a new dance partner. It’s like dating. You want to make sure it works before you get too serious.”

For wherever the future may take them, the “Future Ducks” will more than settle for their reduced commute in their new Midwest home.