5 Des Moines Sports Teams You Need to Follow

If you're new to the Des Moines area and not sure which local teams to follow, we’ve put together a list of the best teams in the area to help you out. Check out a home game and watch these teams give the competition a run for their money:

1. Des Moines Buccaneers Hockey

Affectionately known by fans as "The Bucs," this team is a tier I junior member of the United States Hockey League. They play their home games at Buccaneer Arena in nearby Urbandale, and have won four Anderson Cup Championships and four Clark Cup Championships in their 30-year history. Many of their players have gone on to play NCAA and professional hockey, including Kyle Okposo of the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres.

You can come watch them play the Sioux City Musketeers on Saturday, January 21 or the Dubuque Fighting Saints on Thursday, February 2.

2. Iowa Energy Basketball

The Energy are the NBA development league affiliate of the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies. They play home games at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, and have a huge local following. In fact in 2011, the team set a record for the largest attendance at a D-league game with 14,036 fans present at their finals game against the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

The Energy play the Northern Arizona Suns at home on Saturday, January 28 and the Oklahoma City Blue on Tuesday, February 7.

3. Iowa Wild Hockey

An affiliate of the NHL's Minnesota Wild, this minor league team is known for its loud and dedicated fans. Home games at Wells Fargo Arena always have a great turnout, even though the team has only been based in Des Moines since 2013. Come watch them face off against the Cleveland Monsters on Wednesday, February 8 or the Grand Rapids Griffins on Friday, February 10. Their current season runs through April, so you have plenty of time to catch a game.

4. Iowa Barnstormers Indoor Football

The Iowa Barnstormers are a professional indoor football team affiliated with the Indoor Football League. Sporting the colors black, gold, red, and white, they’ve made it to the playoffs five times in the Arena Football League. Their wide receiver, Brady Roland, was just selected as one of the Top Ten IFL players for 2016, so you’re sure to see some top-level talent in their 2017 home opener against the Cedar Rapids Titans on Sunday, March 26.

A Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, the Iowa Cubs play home games at Principal Park in Des Moines. They have won seven division titles, the most recent coming in 2008, and have produced many stars, including Rod Beck, Kerry Wood, Mark Prior, and Sam Fuld. Their season starts in early April with the first home game against the New Orleans Baby Cakes on Tuesday, April 11.

Do you plan on going to any sports games in Des Moines this year? Let us know in the comments below!