# Kailer Yamamoto

Kailer Yamamoto (born September 29, 1998) is an American professional ice hockey right winger for Tucson Roadrunners in the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Utah Hockey Club of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the first round, 22nd overall, by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2017 NHL entry draft.

## Playing career
### Junior

Yamamoto played in the 2011 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Los Angeles Selects minor ice hockey team. He later played for the Los Angeles Jr. Kings of the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League. Yamamoto had racked up 40 points in only 34 games. He would then go on to play in the Western Hockey League.
Yamamoto was selected in the fifth round, 105th overall in the 2013 WHL bantam draft by his hometown team, the Spokane Chiefs. In his rookie season with the Chiefs, in 2014–15, he posted 23 goals and 57 points in 68 games. He was a top scorer at the 2015 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament for Team USA.
Yamamoto was one of three WHL players invited to participate in the 2016 CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game. During the 2016–17 season, Yamamoto was named WHL Player of the Week week ending October 30, 2016, for registering seven points in four games. He was named to the 2016–17 Western Conference Second All-Star Team after ranking 6th overall in scoring with 42 goals and 57 assists for 99 points.

### Professional

On June 23, 2017, Yamamoto was drafted in the first round, 22nd overall, in the 2017 NHL entry draft by the Edmonton Oilers. At the time, he drew comparisons to the Calgary Flames' Johnny Gaudreau (drafted 2011), particularly due to their similarity in size and playing style.
After an impressive training camp with the Oilers, Yamamoto made the opening night roster for the 2017–18 season. He made his regular-season debut on October 4, 2017, against the Calgary Flames in a 3–0 win, and recorded his first career point, an assist, on October 14 on an Adam Larsson goal against the Ottawa Senators. After playing his ninth game with the Oilers and recording 3 assists, Yamamoto was returned to Spokane to continue his development at the major junior level on November 6, 2017.
The Oilers included Yamamoto on their 25-player roster at the start of the 2018–19 NHL season. He recorded his first NHL goal on October 18, in a 3–2 overtime win over the Boston Bruins.
As a restricted free agent following the 2021–22 season, Yamamoto avoided arbitration with the Oilers after re-signing to a two-year, $3.1 million per year contract extension on August 4, 2022.
After being sent back to Edmonton for injury reevaluation on November 10, 2022 while the team was on a road trip, Yamamoto remained out with an undisclosed injury, missing 7 games. Yamamoto was placed on injured reserve on November 27. He was activated off injured reserve on December 5. and scored his first goal of the 2022–23 season on December 9, in a game against the Minnesota Wild. Yamamoto was again placed on [long-term] injured reserve on January 17, 2023. He returned to play in a regular-season game against the New York Rangers on February 17. In the 15 games he played in upon his return from LTIR, he tallied 5 goals and 1 assist in a combined total of 249:49 of ice-time. On March 3, he scored the fastest 2 goals (40 seconds apart) by an Oilers player since Taylor Hall in October 2013.
On April 29, Yamamoto scored the series-clinching goal late in the third period of Game 6 of the Oilers' first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings.
On June 29, Yamamoto was traded to the Detroit Red Wings, along with Klim Kostin, in exchange for future considerations. A day later, he was placed on unconditional waivers by the Red Wings for the purposes of a buy out.
On July 2, Yamamoto signed as a free agent to a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the Seattle Kraken. In the 2023–24 season, Yamamoto made 59 regular season appearances with the Kraken, however was unable to replicate his previous offensive levels, contributing with a career low 16 points.
As an un-signed free agent over the summer, Yamamoto accepted an invitation to attend the Utah Hockey Club training camp for the 2024–25 season on a professional tryout on September 12, 2024. Following a successful preseason, with three goals in four games, Yamamoto signed a one-year contract with Utah on October 6, 2024.
While playing for the Utah Hockey Club's AHL affiliate team, the Tucson Roadrunners, Yamamoto was suspended for the March 8th game against the Bakersfield Condors, as a result of a spearing incident on March 7th.

## International play

At the 2016 IIHF U18 World Championship in Grand Forks, North Dakota, Yamamoto scored 13 points in 7 games, including 7 goals, helping Team USA win bronze.
Yamamoto was selected to the Team America's under-20 team for the 2018 World Junior Championships in Buffalo, New York, winning bronze.

## Personal life

Through his paternal grandfather, Yamamoto is of Japanese descent. Yamamoto and his older brother, Keanu, were taught to skate by Tyler Johnson's mother and would later train with Johnson in his offseason.

## Career statistics
### Regular season and playoffs

| | | | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 2013–14 | Los Angeles Jr. Kings | T1EHL | 34 | 17 | 23 | 40 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2014–15 | Spokane Chiefs | WHL | 68 | 23 | 34 | 57 | 50 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 |
| 2015–16 | Spokane Chiefs | WHL | 57 | 19 | 52 | 71 | 34 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 10 |
| 2016–17 | Spokane Chiefs | WHL | 65 | 42 | 57 | 99 | 46 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2017–18 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 9 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2017–18 | Spokane Chiefs | WHL | 40 | 21 | 43 | 64 | 18 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 |
| 2018–19 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 17 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2018–19 | Bakersfield Condors | AHL | 27 | 10 | 8 | 18 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2019–20 | Bakersfield Condors | AHL | 23 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2019–20 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 27 | 11 | 15 | 26 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 2020–21 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 52 | 8 | 13 | 21 | 26 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2021–22 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 81 | 20 | 21 | 41 | 40 | 14 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 10 |
| 2022–23 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 58 | 10 | 15 | 25 | 24 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 18 |
| 2023–24 | Seattle Kraken | NHL | 59 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — |
| NHL totals | NHL totals | NHL totals | 303 | 58 | 76 | 134 | 124 | 34 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 36 |

### International

| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 2014 | United States | U17 | | 6 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 2 |
| 2015 | United States | IH18 | 5th | 4 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 14 |
| 2016 | United States | U18 | | 7 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 12 |
| 2018 | United States | WJC | | 7 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| Junior totals | Junior totals | Junior totals | Junior totals | 24 | 16 | 14 | 30 | 32 |

## Awards and honors

| Award | Year |
| WHL |||
| West Second All-Star Team | 2017 |