Iowa Heartlanders forward Yuki Miura is scheduled to return to the ice Wednesday after an injury that sidelined him for almost two months.

Miura fell and crashed into the boards the last time he donned the Iowa uniform on Dec. 29. Miura said he felt pain upon impact with the wall. The collision only sidelined Miura for a short time, however, as he eventually checked back into game after a quick breather.

Miura said he didn’t think his injury was very serious during the contest, but his attitude changed postgame. The right-handed shooter discovered blood in his urine the evening of Dec. 29. After a hospital visit and some tests, Miura found out he’d lacerated a kidney and his liver.

Miura was initially expected to be out until at least March. His recovery timeline has since improved, as the Heartlanders activated him from injured reserve Monday.

Miura sustained his lacerations against the Tulsa Oilers, and he’ll play the same team in his return to the ice Wednesday.

“I’m so excited,” Miura said Monday. “I’ve been waiting so long, one month-and-a-half. So, I finally made it here. So, I feel good, like I’m ready and I’m prepared. So, it’s going to be a fun time.”

Following his Dec. 29 diagnosis, Miura was not allowed to participate in any intensive physical activity for two weeks. As his condition his improved, he began to walk, run, and bike. Miura started to skate two or three weeks ago.

Miura believes, in the long haul, the injury might actually prove beneficial, as his cardio is much better now than it was when he got hurt.

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The two-way forward from Japan was an important piece of the Iowa roster before his injury. Miura made his season debut on Nov. 19. He tallied six goals and five assists in 17 games before hitting injured reserve.

“He’s a heart and soul type of player,” Heartlanders assistant coach Derek Damon said. “He brings it every night. He works hard on both ends of the rink, and he’s a good all-around guy. Yuki brings a smile to a rink that’s contagious and a guy that’s always happy and makes other guys feel good. So, it’d be good to have him back because of his work ethic.”

Miura’s comeback coincides with a rough stretch for the 17-23-6-1 Heartlanders. Iowa has earned just one point in the standings in its last three matchups.

“We competed, we just missed a lot of scoring chances,” Heartlanders defenseman Darick Louis-Jean said of his team’s performance against the Utah Grizzlies. “We just got to bury them. Little mistakes cost us the game, so we’ve just got to adjust.”

Counting their bout with the Oilers at Xtream Arena Wednesday, the Heartlanders will play three games this week. Iowa will take on the 24-18-0-0 Kalamazoo Wings at the Wings Event Center in Michigan on Friday and Saturday. The Heartlanders are a combined 0-3-1-0 against the Oilers and Wings this season.

Puck drop on Wednesday is at 7 p.m. The Heartlanders will start at 6 p.m. on the road Friday and Saturday.

The Heartlanders started to struggle at Xtream Arena as the calendar year hit 2022. In their seven games at home, they’ve won once. Yet, on the road, they’ve won seven of their 12 contests.

“It’s hard to say,” Damon said of the losing trend. “We’ve talked a lot about this year, we’re a young team, there’s ups and downs, and sometimes you see signs of maturity out of these guys and playing on the road is almost a little bit more simpler. You don’t try to be too fancy, you really bring your lunch pail and work ethic on the road, and then at times we’ve played really well at home.

“It’s just finding that even ground and level ground where we can stay consistent.”