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Utah Hockey Club right wing Kailer Yamamoto moves the puck down the ice during a game against the Los Angeles Kings at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, April 3, 2025. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News
There’s a saying in hockey that describes Kailer Yamamoto’s career perfectly: “Small players have to prove they can play, big players have to prove they can’t.”
At 5-foot-8, Yamamoto is the shortest player ever selected in the first round of the NHL draft. What he lacks in size is made up for in his speed, shiftiness and drive, but it hasn’t been enough to keep him in the NHL on an exclusive basis.
He’s seeking to change that.
Where it all began
In an interview ahead of the 2017 NHL draft, Yamamoto reportedly told Edmonton Oilers management that if they didn’t select him, he’d “come back and haunt” them.
That confidence, combined with a 99-point season in the WHL that year, landed him in an organization where he could grow up alongside Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, two of hockey’s biggest superstars.
A lot of guys have made names for themselves playing alongside superstars like McDavid and Draisaitl, but Yamamoto was more than a merchant: His offensive play was backed up by a solid defensive game, which earned him a spot on the Oilers’ penalty kill.
Things were going well. A pair of good offensive seasons had earned Yamamoto a two-year contract worth $3.1 million annually, with the potential for a bigger deal upon its conclusion. All signs pointed to a long, successful career as an Oiler.
And then he got bought out.
Actually, he was traded first, then bought out by the new team, the Detroit Red Wings, the following day. What a kick in the pants that must have been.
But that wasn’t the end for Yamamoto.
Free agency, waivers and other fun stuff
As a new free agent, Yamamoto agreed to a one-year prove-it deal with his hometown Seattle Kraken, becoming the first Washington-born player to sign with the franchise.
His numbers in Seattle ended up being a little worse than they were the previous year, and it wasn’t enough to get an extension.
Back to the free agency market.
Nothing materialized into a full NHL contract offer, so Yamamoto signed the best deal he could find: a PTO with the Utah Hockey Club. A great training camp, which included three Yamamoto goals in four preseason games, earned him a two-way contract for the 2025-26 season.
“Every day, (I’m) trying to prove myself, that I still belong here,” Yamamoto said during camp.
The season started on the right foot for Yamamoto: He made the team out of camp. But after being in and out of the lineup for the first few weeks of the season, and failing to get on the score sheet during his three games (though he did have a disallowed goal), he got sent to the AHL, with a trip through waivers to get there.
But he didn’t let it get him down.
“Obviously I didn’t want to get sent down, so (it was) kind of a dagger,” Yamamoto said. “But it was really fun down there. The guys are great, the weather’s amazing, hockey’s really good.”
When you’ve spent so much time in the best league in the world, the transition to the AHL can make you look like a star. That was the case for Yamamoto, who operated slightly above a point-per-game rate there.
But his goal never was to be an AHL star.
Back to the show
With 11 games remaining in Utah HC’s season, Yamamoto got the call-up he’d been waiting for. This was his chance to prove himself again, at least enough to earn another contract for next season.
In what must have been a world of relief, he scored in his second game back. A few days later, he tallied an assist, followed by another goal two games after that. He seemed to have instant chemistry with Nick Schmaltz and Barrett Hayton, too.
Oh, and one of those goals was against the Kraken.
“They didn’t want me, so I came in with a little bit of vengeance,” he said after the game.
He’s still not a point-per-game player, but his ability to step into the lineup and contribute immediately should help him as he seeks his next contract.
“He’s a really good player,” said Utah coach André Tourigny. ”His hockey sense, his IQ, his give-and-go game and his experience."
Yamamoto said his confidence, which was what got him drafted in the first place, is returning.
“I think playing in the (AHL), finding my game again, that helped out a lot,” he said. “I’m trying to get back to my ways, and it’s been going good so far.”
UHC sent him back to the minors on Wednesday, where he’ll do his best to help the Tucson Roadrunners secure a playoff spot and make a subsequent run for the Calder Cup.
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Utah Hockey Club right wing Kailer Yamamoto (56) and other players wait on the bench during an NHL game against the Calgary Flames held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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