WHERE ARE THEY NOW?: JOE O'DONNELL
Aug 19, 2026Joe O’Donnell took the long road to the NHL. After spending four seasons in the ECHL with the Idaho Steelheads, he joined the Houston Aeros for the 2008-09 campaign. During O’Donnell’s fifth season with Houston, uncertainty grew around the future of the Aeros. With the team’s lease at Toyota Center expiring at the end of the season, rumors of relocation swirled.
“As that year moved along, it became pretty clear to a lot of us on the staff that relocation was happening,” said O’Donnell. “Des Moines was certainly one of the possibilities that I heard early on, and I was pretty excited about because I had been to Des Moines with the Aeros when they played the Iowa Chops.”
Following the 2012-13 season, O’Donnell and his family, along with a few other Aeros staffers, moved to Des Moines to launch the city’s third AHL franchise. Two previous iterations of AHL hockey, the Iowa Stars (2005-08) and the Iowa Chops (2008-09), had come and gone, leaving doubts that professional hockey could succeed in Central Iowa.
“We were down at the farmer's market every Saturday,” said O’Donnell. “We were giving out free shirts and letting people know we were going to do it differently than the previous stints of hockey and in Des Moines.”
Conveying Minnesota’s commitment to a successful team required a massive outreach effort and establishing new connections in the community.
“It was important to talk to sponsors, fans, and community leaders and explain to them that this was a long-term thing,” said O’Donnell. “I think when you put in learn-to-skate programs, build community rinks in the winter, partner with big players around town, and have games on TV and the radio, those are all signs that you're committed, willing to spend money, and willing to put in the resources to make sure that it works.”
The Iowa Wild staff worked long hours over the summer in the lead up to the team’s opening game. While it took some time for the team to find office space, the excitement of building something new helped the staff power through.
“We were working off folding tables, essentially, not even really offices yet,” said O’Donnell. “It was a really cool experience to start up a new franchise, which was something I hadn't done before. It took a lot of work, a lot of boots on the ground, and a lot of hours focusing on what the image was going to be, what the brand was going to be, and being part of the community.”
Hard work came to fruition on opening night, as Brett Bulmer scored Iowa's lone goal in a 1-0 victory over the Oklahoma City Barons.
"Opening night was incredible," said O'Donnell. "You plan and work hard and put in all these hours in the summer, but to some degree you don't know how it's going to go. Getting the first game in the rearview mirror was a little bit of a relief, but I also think it was a huge success."
Over the course of the next few seasons, O’Donnell’s roles and responsibilities expanded to include sales and team services. As players earned opportunities to go to the NHL, he waited for his turn for a call up.
"It's just one of those things where you try not to look too far ahead," said O'Donnell. "I loved my job in Iowa and the day-to-day focus was being the best broadcaster and sales guy I could be."
While O'Donnell maintained a positive attitude and hoped he'd catch the attention of the NHL, doubts naturally crept in.
"There were certainly times throughout almost 15 years in the AHL where you wonder if you're going to get that break," said O'Donnell. "You get off the bus at four in the morning wondering, 'what am I doing with myself?' Those are real thoughts that anybody would have when they're grinding it out."
O'Donnell and Iowa Wild players frequently drew happiness from cheering on teammates who made their NHL debuts with Minnesota.
"There's nothing better than that, to be honest," said O'Donnell. "When you see the guy make it, you're thrilled for him. I can remember Gerry Mayhew's first NHL game. We had a season ticket holder event at the arena that night. Afterwards, pretty much the whole Iowa team was in the lounge of the locker room with the game on watching Gerry make his debut. Those are things that are pretty cool to be part of to see these guys achieve their goals."
As Bob Kurtz, the longtime Minnesota Wild radio voice, wound down his career, an opportunity emerged for O'Donnell to finally announce NHL games. He made his debut on Nov. 5, 2019, calling Minnesota's 4-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks.
"I got four regular season games that year," said O'Donnell. "It was just a thrill to check that off the list. Even if I never got there full-time, at least I called an NHL game."
O'Donnell continued to fill in for Kurtz during a COVID-shortened 2020-21 season and took over full-time broadcasting duties the following year. He made his debut as the Wild's official radio play-by-play announcer on Oct. 17, 2021 in Anaheim, a game that coincided with Iowa Wild alumnus Brandon Duhaime's NHL debut.
"The players I interact with the most on the Minnesota Wild are the guys that I spent time with elsewhere previously," said O'Donnell. "I think there's a little bit of respect factor between players, coaches, trainers, and equipment guys who have put in the time elsewhere to get the opportunity in the NHL. There's mutual respect when you rode the buses together and got here the hard way."
O'Donnell's NHL job differs significantly from his previous roles. He says that his AHL experience prepared him for the big leagues in many ways.
"You see so many different parts of the business at the minor league level because you're involved in so many parts of it," said O'Donnell. "When you wear many hats, you appreciate the business and how hard people work. It helped me beyond calling hockey games. I grew in my job and as a person."
"I'm calling the best product in the world in the highest stakes environments and the biggest moments, seeing records broken, seeing Hall of Fame players every night," said O'Donnell. "The goosebumps and the nerves ratchet up when you get to the playoffs and overtime games or big milestone moments. There's absolutely nothing better."