St. Louis Heartland Eagles

The St. Louis Heartland Eagles was a Tier 1 junior ice hockey team playing in the East Division of the United States Hockey League (USHL). The USHL is the top Junior hockey league in the United States, the league is geared for the development of 17- to 20-year-old players as a step between High school and lower Jr. Hockey levels and College and Professional ice hockey.

The Eagles's home ice was The Summit Center in Chesterfield, Missouri (about 30 minutes west of downtown St. Louis). The Summit Center, now Hardee's Iceplex, is now the home to the NAHL's St. Louis Bandits.

History
The Franchise was part of the United States Hockey League as the Topeka ScareCrows from 2001-2003. In 2003 the USHL ScareCrows were moved to St. Louis, Missouri for the 2003-2004 season and renamed the Heartland Eagles. The team struggled on and off the ice in St. Louis. The team finished in last place in the East Division and also suffered from low attendance. The Heartland Eagles were granted a one-year voluntary suspension of operations and did not play during the 2004/2005 USHL season. The Frachise folded in the summer of 2005 after failing to find a more suitable home for the team in the St. Louis metro area.

The Eagle's head coach and general manager for the team's only season in St. Louis was Rick Zombo, an ex-Detroit Red Wings, ex-St. Louis Blues defenseman. Assistant coach was Joe Coombs.

Coombs went on to coach the Topeka Tarantulas of the CHL for the 2004-05 season, but the team folded after only one year.