Yamamoto Tabbed by Team USA for U-18 World Championship
SPOKANE, Wash. – Spokane’s Kailer Yamamoto has been named to the Team USA roster for upcoming IIHF U-18 World Championship in Grand Forks, N.D. The Americans’ tournament schedule will begin versus Russia on Thursday, April 14 at 4:30 p.m. PDT.
Yamamoto, a 5-foot-9 forward from Spokane, led the Chiefs in scoring during the 2015-16 Western Hockey League season, tallying 19 goals and 52 assists for 71 points in 57 games. He added a goal and four assists in six playoff games. After completing his second full season with the Chiefs, he has 128 points (42 goals) in 125 regular season career games.
A Mead High School student and 2017 NHL Entry Draft Prospect, Yamamoto has competed for the United States in international play before; at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup tournament in the Czech Republic and Slovakia during the summer of 2015. He tied for the tournament lead in scoring with four goals and three assists in four games. He also competed with Team USA at the 2014 U-17 Five Nations Cup as the Americans defeated Germany for the championship.
Yamamoto is one of only two CHL players named to the Team USA roster. The full team, as announced by USA Hockey, can be found at www.usahockey.com.
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Bill Peters, who served as an assistant coach for the Chiefs from 1996-02 and as Head Coach from 2005-08, including Spokane’s Memorial Cup Championship in 2008, was also honored on Tuesday morning.
Peters will serve as Head Coach of Team Canada in the 2016 World Championship in Russia. That tournament will begin on Friday, May 6 as Canada will take on the United States.
More information on Peters’ hiring can be found at www.iihfworlds2016.com.
