Heartlanders Add Two More Defensemen for Upcoming Season

Iowa Heartlanders head coach and general manager Derek Damon has announced defensemen Lincoln Erne and Zeteny Hadobas have agreed to ECHL contracts with the club for this coming season.

A second-year pro from Blaine, MN, Erne split time between Newfoundland, Idaho and Jacksonville last season. He collected three goals and 14 assists for 17 points to go along with 55 penalty minutes.

Erne played four seasons at Canisius from 2019-23, helping the Golden Griffins qualify for their second-ever NCAA tournament during his senior season.

Prior to Canisius, Erne played junior hockey with Minot in the NAHL and Blaine High School before that, where he served as captain.

A right-shooting defenseman, Erne will give the Heartlanders muscle on the blueline with his 6-foot-2, 200-pound build.

"Lincoln was more of a defensive defenseman during his time at Canisius, but showed some good two-way ability as a rookie last season for some good teams," Damon said following the announcement.

The 21-year-old Hadobas, a native of Budapest, Hungary, has split time between professional and junior hockey leagues in Europe and also represented Hungary internationally on several occasions. This past spring, he won gold with Hungary at the 2024 IIHF World Championship Division I.

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Hadobas played professionally in the second and third tiers of Swedish Professional ice hockey (HockeyAllvenskan & Hockey Ettan), and also skated with the Swedish U-20 junior team Vasteras. In 2022-23, he was named a top-3 player on Hungary's World Championship team.

Hadobas will also add strength on the blueline and is a two-way defenseman with good puck-moving skills. According to Damon, he's been on the club's radar over the last several months.

"We're thrilled for him to make this jump to North American professional hockey," Damon said. "One of the things that excites us is that he's still so young, but he's also been playing in good leagues in Sweden and Hungary the last few years and been one of the best players for his country in international tournaments."

Currently, the Heartlanders have signed 10 forwards, six defensemen and one goaltender. The six blueliners hail from five different countries: Jules Boscq (France); Louka Henault (Canada); Bogdans Hodass (Latvia); Chris Lipe and Erne (USA) and Hadobas.