'It's been a dream come true': Kailer Yamamoto makes case to stay with Oilers
'He's fun to watch, and I think the fans of Edmonton are going to love watching this kid,' says Wayne Gretzky
You literally can't wipe the smile off Kailer Yamamoto's face these days.
On the ice, in the dressing room, in front of the cameras, the Oilers rookie is always smiling. And who could blame him?
On Wednesday night, the 19-year-old winger from Spokane, Wash., will see his first NHL regular season action against the Calgary Flames.
"When it comes, I'll be prepared," said Yamamoto, who is five-foot-eight and weighs 160 pounds, and already has a reputation for being one of the last players off the ice after practice.
"And the guys will be helping me out a lot in the locker room, making me less nervous before the game."
'A head for the game'
The only other American on the team is big winger Patrick Maroon, who was 23 when he broke into the league, and had several years of AHL experience under his belt.
"It's exciting," said Maroon, who sits two stalls away from the new kid. "You've got a prospect here who's come in and probably wasn't penciled in, and came in and stole some spots."
The spot Yamamoto earned is on a line with Milan Lucic and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
Both players know all about cracking NHL lineups as teenagers. Lucic did it with the Bruins in 2007-08 as a rookie fresh off a WHL championship with the Vancouver Giants.
"Not the biggest guy, but that doesn't hold him back from anything," said Nugent-Hopkins.
The Oilers centre said he really noticed Yamamoto during a pre-season game against the Winnipeg Jets.
"We were together and he was going up against a big Winnipeg team, they pretty much had their full roster, he was winning battles, going into corners, picking up pucks, and making plays. Like I said, he's a tenacious player and obviously has the skill, and a head for the game."
'He's strong on the puck for a little guy'
The former Spokane Chief from the Western Hockey League won his spot, in part, by scoring goals — five of them in the pre-season. He also added two assists. More importantly, it was his overall game that caught the organization's attention.
"He's a very talented, highly skilled player," said Maroon. "He's strong on the puck for a little guy. You wouldn't think he's a 150 pounds soaking wet. I've seen him win battles in the corner and battles in the defensive and offensive zone. That's always a good sign from a kid like that."
That's exactly what caught coach Todd McLellan's eye. He said it wasn't a single game or shift that made the difference.
"Not necessarily a moment," McLellan said. "I think that's dangerous. Because a lot of young players have a moment throughout training camp, and you can't make decisions based on that.
"The evidence was five or six games that he played. He didn't continually climb the mountain, he'd climb and then he'd stall a little, then he'd climb a bit more. But he didn't dive off the cliff, if you will."
If that should happen once the regular season starts, general manager Peter Chiarelli will be watching
"We all know that the play picks up as the regular season starts to unfold," said Chiarelli. "We'll assess him. That's what we told him, day by day. He's an exciting player and he adapts well to increased tempo, and increased heaviness. He's done it all through camp. We'll see what happens."
'It's a great story, he's fun to watch'
Even Wayne Gretzky endorsed the young rookie. Gretzky, who often summers in the Spokane area, said he's been following Yamamoto's path since the kid was 14 years old.
"He's in the right group of players, guys like Patty Maroon, guys like (Milan) Lucic and Connor (McDavid). They'll take him under their wing, they're great professionals."
On Tuesday, while in the city for an event at the Kaye Edmonton Clinic at the University of Alberta, Gretzky talked glowingly about the rookie, who now has a chance to prove he belongs.
"I'm really excited for him," Gretzky said. "I'm happy for him. It's a great story. He's fun to watch, and I think the fans of Edmonton are going to love watching this kid for a long time."
