Photo Courtesy of the Iowa HeartlandersYuki Miura came to the Iowa Heartlanders prior to the start of the 2021-22 season, the team’s first in the ECHL.
Four years later, the native of Tokyo is the only player remaining from that inaugural campaign. The 28-year-old forward was named team captain before the start of the 2024-25 season, making him the first Japanese-born captain in the ECHL.
Miura has become a fan favorite in Coralville. He’s also earned the utmost respect from his Heartlanders teammates and coaches for his passion and work ethic.
That love and respect is reciprocal.
“Coming from Japan, I’ve found a place I can call home,” Miura told The Hockey News in early March. “It’s Coralville, Iowa, and it’s something special.”
Last Sunday, the Heartlanders clinched a playoff spot for the first time in the team’s short history. On Tuesday, Miura sent out a heart-felt letter to fans, season ticketholders and sponsors, expressing his thanks for their support over the years.
Photo Courtesy of the Iowa HeartlandersMiura writes:
Dear Heartlanders Fans, Season Ticket Holders, and Sponsors,
My name is Yuki Miura, captain of the Iowa Heartlanders.
It is with tremendous pride and excitement that I share this moment with you: for the first time in our team’s history, the Iowa Heartlanders are heading to the playoffs.
This achievement means even more when you consider where we started. In our first three seasons, we finished at the bottom of the standings. And as someone who has been here since day one, seeing this team’s growth over four years makes this journey incredibly special.
I also want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your amazing support throughout the season, and especially during our playoff-clinching game against the Wichita Thunder last Sunday. We lost in overtime, but coming back from 0-2 to tie it 2-2 was only possible because of your energy and belief in us. That one point we earned ended up being the point that officially punched our ticket to the playoffs.
When we heard that news in the locker room, I couldn’t help but think back to our first season... and honestly, I got a little emotional. We’ve come a long way.
I’m incredibly proud of this team. Since the day Coach Derek (Army) told me last summer that he was planning to name me captain, I’ve thought about nothing but how to help this team succeed. Even now, I’m constantly thinking about what I can do to help this group and each of the boys be successful. No kidding—I think about this 24 hours a day. Because that’s the responsibility and accountability I believe I should have as a captain.
Together with Derek, we’ve worked to build the Heartlanders culture—one rooted in relentless work ethic. Derek always says, “All In” and “Compete.” Those words define who we are.
We’ve got a locker room full of guys who work harder than anyone, every single day. That’s the biggest reason we’re having success. And honestly, I feel like the luckiest captain in the world to be surrounded by teammates like this. They help me, they support me, and they make my job easy.
And now, we can’t wait to head into the playoffs—with all of you by our side.
If you can, we’d love to see you at Xtream Arena for our home games. Your presence, your energy, your voices—they mean the world to us. There’s nothing like playing in front of our home crowd, and we need every bit of that energy as we fight for a championship.
But let me be clear: we’re not done. Yes, we’re proud. Yes, we’re grateful. But this is just a checkpoint on the road to something bigger. Our goal is a championship. Everyone knows it’s not easy, but that’s exactly what we’re chasing. We’re not getting too high—but let’s take a moment to enjoy this together.
Also, I want to give a huge shoutout to our entire front office and rink staff. They’ve done an incredible job all season long to make this moment possible. From the bottom of my heart, I respect everything they’ve done for this team and for our fans.
In the first round, we’re likely facing the Fort Wayne Komets—one of the toughest teams in the league, full of skilled players. I have a lot of respect for them, and for every team in this league.
But we’re not here just to show up. We’re here to make history.
So let’s go do it—together. Grab your tickets for our home playoff games at the link below. And, as always, Let’s go Landers!
With love and respect,
Yuki Miura
Fans can order their playoff tickets by clicking here.