The Utah Mammoth announced today the signing of forward Kailer Yamamoto to a one-year, two-way contract, worth $775,000 at the NHL level.
Yamamoto, 26, skated in 12 games with Utah last season, registering 2-1-3 and two penalty minutes (PIM). He also posted 20-36-56 and 41 PIM in 54 American Hockey League (AHL) games with the Tucson Roadrunners and added one goal in three Calder Cup Playoff appearances. Yamamoto led all Roadrunners skaters in assists, points, and plus/minus (+17).
The 5-foot-9, 178-pound forward has recorded 60-77-137 and 126 PIM in 315 career NHL games with Utah, Edmonton Oilers, and Seattle Kraken. Yamamoto has also played 104 career AHL contests with Tucson and the Bakersfield Condors, earning 38-52-90 and 73 PIM. He was selected to the 2020 AHL All-Star Classic while with Bakersfield.
A native of Spokane, Washington, Yamamoto played four Western Hockey League (WHL) seasons with the Spokane Chiefs before turning professional. He tallied 105-186-291 in 230 WHL appearances, finishing sixth in the league in scoring in 2016-17 (42-57-99).
Yamamoto represented the United States at the 2014 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, 2016 IIHF Under-18 World Championship, and 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship, winning silver, bronze, and bronze, respectively. He also posted 4-3-7 in four games at the 2015 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, tying for the tournament lead in goals and points.
Yamamoto was selected by the Oilers in the first round (22nd overall) of the 2017 NHL Draft.
