Dubuque Fighting Saints

What Dubuque Fighting Saints does

The Dubuque Fighting Saints is a Tier I junior ice hockey team competing in the United States Hockey League (USHL), owned and operated by Northern Lights Hockey, LLC and based at ImOn Arena in Dubuque, Iowa. The team returned to the USHL in 2010 after the original franchise (founded 1980) relocated to Tulsa in 2001; since then the club has become one of the league's most decorated programs with 5 Clark Cup championships, 9 Dupaco Cowbell Cup titles, and a 12-consecutive-season playoff streak. The core product is competitive junior hockey played by a roster of approximately 25 players (ages 16-20), with the program serving as a development pipeline that has produced 180-plus NCAA Division I alumni and multiple NHL players, including Johnny Gaudreau and Zemgus Girgensons, who are now part-owners. The franchise does not operate a proprietary technology platform; game broadcasts are delivered via FloHockey (paid streaming) and Eagle 102.3 FM (free radio), and tickets are sold through a third-party portal powered by Igniter Tickets.

Name

Dubuque Fighting Saints

Legal name

Northern Lights Hockey, LLC (operating as Dubuque Fighting Saints)

Website

https://dubuquefightingsaints.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Dubuque Fighting Saints is a Tier I USHL junior ice hockey team based in Dubuque, Iowa, operated by Northern Lights Hockey, LLC and serving aspiring elite youth players (ages 16-20), regional fans, and 50+ corporate sponsors at ImOn Arena.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Junior Ice Hockey Entertainment

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Spectator Sports (71121)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAGAMAB

Team Sports Matches (Club & National)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Live Entertainment & Events (Concerts, Theater, Festivals)/Live Sports Events

SECONDARYMPAKAAAE

Ice Hockey Leagues

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Professional Sports Leagues (Domestic & International)

Keywords

• Junior ice hockey
• USHL team
• Sports entertainment
• Hockey player development
• Minor league hockey

Headquarters

HQ city

Dubuque

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from full-season tickets, partial-season ticket packages, group tickets, and single-game admissions. Premium seating includes luxury suite rentals and rink-side club access. Ticket sales handled through the team's own ticketing portal powered by Igniter Tickets.
2. Sponsorships & Corporate Partnerships: Corporate sponsorship agreements with 50+ regional businesses across categories including financial services, retail, food & beverage, healthcare, and hospitality. Naming rights (ImOn Arena) and presenting sponsorship (Dupaco Cowbell Cup). Arena advertising and in-game branding opportunities.
3. Arena Concessions & Premium Hospitality: Revenue share from food and beverage concessions at ImOn Arena, including Chick-fil-A Party Barns and beer garden sales. Premium hospitality includes luxury suites, rink-side club, and catering services for private events.
4. Broadcasting & Media Rights: FloHockey streams all regular season and playoff games for a per-game or subscription fee. Radio broadcast rights with Eagle 102.3 (free to listeners, likely generating promotional value).
5. Merchandise Sales: Sale of team merchandise (apparel, accessories) through the team's website and at the arena. Merchandise distribution likely through arena retail space and online storefront.
6. Community Programs & Fundraising: Donation requests, appearance fees for player/mascot appearances, and community ticket program generate supplemental revenue and goodwill.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

The Dubuque Fighting Saints operates a Tier I junior ice hockey team competing in the United States Hockey League (USHL), playing home games at ImOn Arena in Dubuque, Iowa. The franchise sells live game entertainment through season tickets, single-game admissions, group tickets, luxury suite rentals, and Chick-fil-A Party Barns event hosting, alongside team merchandise and corporate sponsorship packages. The organization also runs a player development pipeline that has produced 180+ NCAA Division I college hockey players and numerous NHL alumni.

Product overview

The Dubuque Fighting Saints operates as a Tier I junior ice hockey organization in the USHL, offering a unified portfolio of products and services centered on competitive hockey entertainment. The core product is the Fighting Saints hockey team, supplemented by live game streaming via FloHockey, radio broadcasts on Eagle 102.3, and venue access at ImOn Arena. Additional services include goalie coaching instruction, player housing through a billet family program, community engagement via the Bernie the St. Bernard mascot, player/mascot appearance requests for events, donation programs for non-profits, the Dupaco Cowbell Cup rivalry competition, Chick-fil-A Party Barns event hosting, and season ticket packages. The organization functions primarily as a sports entertainment entity rather than a technology platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Season Tickets

Quantifiable outcome

• 12 consecutive Clark Cup Playoff berths (2010–2023)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and moderate.

• ImOn CommunicationscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 September 2023ImOn Communications holds the naming rights to ImOn Arena (formerly Mystique Community Ice Center). The partnership rebranded the arena in September 2023, ushering in a new era for the facility. ImOn is Dubuque's local broadband and internet service provider.
• Simmons Pet FoodminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Simmons Pet Food sponsors Bernie the St. Bernard, the team's mascot. As the leading North American private-label and contract manufacturer of wet pet food, Simmons Pet Food uses the mascot partnership for brand visibility at games and community events.
• Q Casino and ResortcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Q Casino and Resort assumed management of the Mystique Community Ice Center / ImOn Arena in the summer of 2022, leading to the arena's renaming. Q Casino is adjacent to the arena facility in Dubuque and provides venue management and operational support.
• Dupaco Community Credit UnioncoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2012Dupaco Community Credit Union is the presenting sponsor of the Dupaco Cowbell Cup, the Eastern Iowa rivalry trophy contested between Dubuque, Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, and Waterloo. The partnership has been in place since 2012 and is a flagship regional sports marketing initiative for Dupaco.
• FloHockey / FloSportscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFloHockey is the official video provider and streaming partner of the USHL. All Dubuque Fighting Saints regular season and playoff games are streamed live and on-demand via FloHockey.tv. This partnership provides broad geographic reach for game broadcasts beyond the Dubuque market.
• Eagle 102.3 FMcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEagle 102.3 FM is the official radio partner of the Dubuque Fighting Saints. All games are broadcast for free, keeping fans, family, and the Dubuque community connected to the team throughout the season.
• NHL / USA HockeymoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe USHL is partnered with the NHL and USA Hockey. Dubuque's success in developing players for college and professional hockey is aligned with these national hockey governing bodies. The team participated in the 2015 USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game with scouts from all 30 NHL teams in attendance.
• USHL (United States Hockey League)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Dubuque Fighting Saints are a Tier I member of the USHL, the top junior hockey league in the United States. The team competes in the Eastern Conference and participates in USHL events including the Fall Classic, Draft, and Clark Cup Playoffs.
• Telegraph HeraldminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Telegraph Herald is the primary local newspaper covering the Dubuque Fighting Saints, providing ongoing news coverage, game recaps, and feature stories about players and community involvement.
• Chick-fil-A DubuqueminorGTM or Marketing PartnerChick-fil-A Dubuque operates the Chick-fil-A Party Barns at ImOn Arena, providing food and beverage concessions and catering for private events at the arena. The team offers party barn information request forms on their website.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Youngstown Phantoms: USHL Eastern Conference Tier I team competing in the same league format with similar ticket/sponsorship revenue mix and NCAA development mission.
• Madison Capitols: USHL Eastern Conference Tier I franchise operating in a similar mid-sized Midwest market with comparable community-driven business model and player development focus.
• Muskegon Lumberjacks: USHL Eastern Conference Tier I franchise and direct on-ice competitor in the same league structure, competing for Clark Cup Playoff positioning.
• Des Moines Buccaneers: USHL Western Conference Tier I team and Eastern Iowa Cowbell Cup rival; competes directly with Dubuque for regional sponsorships, fan attention, and in-state recruits.
• Fargo Force: USHL Western Conference Tier I team and direct playoff competitor (referenced as 2025-26 playoff opponent); same Tier I junior hockey operating model.
• Green Bay Gamblers: USHL Eastern Conference Tier I team sharing the Midwest recruiting corridor and competing for the same 16-20 year-old elite player pool as Dubuque.
• Chicago Steel: USHL Eastern Conference Tier I junior hockey franchise operating under the same league rules, competing directly for NCAA D1-bound recruits and USHL Draft prospects.
• Cedar Rapids RoughRiders: Eastern Conference USHL rival and direct competitor for players, fans, and sponsors in the Eastern Iowa market. Contests the Cowbell Cup rivalry with Dubuque annually.
• Waterloo BlackHawks: USHL Western Conference Tier I franchise and the fourth Eastern Iowa Cowbell Cup rival, sharing the Iowa talent pool with Dubuque.

Emerging players

• USA Hockey National Team Development Program: Based in the USHL and competing alongside Dubuque as the league's national-team entity; competes for elite recruits and NHL draft positioning under a slightly different development model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fightingsaints
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC6b5EfS2vcMBp2rWkSVxSGw
• Facebookfacebook.com/fightingsaints
• Instagraminstagram.com/fightingsaints
• TikToktiktok.com/@fightingsaints?lang=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dubuque Fighting Saints