Houston Aeros (1994–2013)

=== Relocation to Iowa ===
Despite the local popularity and high average attendance of the team,<ref>{{Cite web|title=American Hockey League history and statistics at hockeydb.com|url=https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leagues/112.html|website=HockeyDB}}</ref> the team was having trouble off the ice where the Aeros and owner [[Charles Watson (businessman)|Chuck Watson]] were part of dispute with the [[Houston Rockets]] and owner [[Les Alexander]] over their shared arenas. Since the 1990s, Watson operated [[The Summit (Houston)|The Summit]], which acted as the home arena for both teams, and had control over the lease agreement with the Rockets, which had been purchased by Alexander in 1993. When Alexander tried to break the Rockets lease on the building shortly after their [[1995 NBA Finals|1995 title]], Watson blocked the move, holding Alexander to his original agreement of expiration in 2003. While a new arena was needed to replace the aging facility, the two sides agreed to an arena deal in 1997 that would give the Rockets and Aeros equal control over a new building. However, the referendum for a new building was rejected by [[Harris County, Texas|Harris County]] voters in 1999.

In 2001, Alexander reached his own agreement with the City of Houston to build the [[Toyota Center]]. The lease agreements of both the Aeros and Rockets expired in the summer of 2003, and with the city set to sell Compaq Center to [[Lakewood Church]], the Aeros were forced to move into the Toyota Center and pay rent to the Rockets on a three-year lease.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Hlavaty|first=Craig|date=October 1, 2018|title=Toyota Center turns 15: A look back at Houston's landmarks under construction|url=https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/See-what-some-of-Houston-s-best-known-buildings-13271964.php|access-date=October 1, 2018|website=[[Houston Chronicle]]}}</ref> Watson then sold the majority ownership to the Minnesota Sports and Entertainment (MS&E), the parent company of the [[Minnesota Wild]], with Watson retaining a 10% share, in order to pay for the increased costs.<ref name = "HC01182013"/>

When the initial agreement between the Aeros and Rockets expired, Alexander's rent price skyrocketed. Negotiations were so stymied that Chuck Watson nearly relocated his hockey team in 2006.{{Citation needed|date=May 2021}} The AHL and NHL both entered the negotiations and the Aeros and Rockets agreed to a new seven-year agreement that ran through the 2012–13 season. Under the agreement though, the Aeros were paying one of the highest rents of any AHL franchise.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Galindo|first=Heather|date=April 18, 2013|title=Aeros confirm move from Houston to Des Moines|url=https://www.chron.com/sports/more/article/Aeros-confirm-move-from-Houston-to-Des-Moines-4445915.php|access-date=April 18, 2013|website=[[Houston Chronicle]]}}</ref>

By the 2012–13 season, Alexander had expressed he wanted to use the 38 Aeros' home dates to instead host concerts in order to generate more revenue. In the first negotiations between Alexander and MS&E, the Rockets' owner demanded a 550% increase in the team's rent if they wanted to stay.<ref name="HC01182013">{{cite web|last1=Barron|first1=David|last2=Galindo|first2=Heather|date=January 18, 2013|title=Relocation likely if Aeros can't get new lease deal at Toyota Center|url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/article/Relocation-likely-if-Aeros-can-t-get-new-lease-4206971.php|access-date=January 18, 2013|website=[[Houston Chronicle]]}}</ref> MS&E instead began exploring other options, settling on [[Wells Fargo Arena (Des Moines, Iowa)|Wells Fargo Arena]] in [[Des Moines, Iowa]], which last was home to the [[Iowa Chops]] in 2009. On April 18, 2013, MS&E announced that the Aeros would be relocated to Des Moines at the conclusion of the [[2013 Calder Cup playoffs]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=April 19, 2013|title=It's official: Aeros hockey team leaving Houston at end of season &#124; ABC13 Houston &#124; abc13.com|url=https://abc13.com/archive/9070651/|access-date=April 19, 2013|website=[[ABC13 Houston]]}}</ref> Following the relocation, MS&E's rent went from one of the highest in the AHL to one of the lowest: 27th of the AHL's 30 franchises.