The 28-year-old winger has penned a new deal to stay with the Stars after a successful first season in Tayside and also in Europe.
Through the 2024-2025 Elite League season, Yamamoto racked up 35 points (13G, 22A) in 54 league games, as he completed the full campaign and added a further eight points (1G, 7A) across 12 Challenge Cup matches, before also tagging on another assist in the two-legged Playoff Quarter-Finals.
Born in Spokane, Washington, Keanu has previously played all of his career in North America before switching to Scotland last summer and he iced in leagues such as the ECHL, USports and WHL.
During his two years with the ECHL’s Rapid City Rush, he totalled 93 points in 143, after previously recording 103 points in 119 matches over five seasons with McGill University in USports.
Keanu also spent four years playing junior hockey with Spokane Chiefs in the Western Hockey League and he recorded 190 points across 283 fixtures.
LEFEBVRE ON YAMAMOTO
After signing Yamamoto up for a second successive campaign, Stars Director of Hockey Operations and Head Coach, Marc LeFebvre, said: “I am really excited to be working with Keanu again.
“We saw in the second half of the season the player that we signed last summer and what he can do out on the ice, so we are look forward to him carrying that momentum into this season from the start.
“Keanu is a versatile player that can play both center and wing for us, so he gives us plenty of options up front.
“He shaped out into more of a two-way player in the second half and he was a key player for us down the stretch as we made our push to get into the playoffs, so I am really looking forward to having him back in Dundee again this year.”
YAMAMOTO ON COMING BACK FOR MORE
Once his move to Dundee was sealed, Keanu said: “I am really excited to be staying in Dundee, when the season ended I definitely knew that I wanted to comeback, so it feels good that I was able to get something done with Marc and I cannot wait to come back.
“It was not really a difficult decision, I really like it here in Dundee and I wanted to come back, so just from talking to Marc at the end of the season and he said there was interest in having me back and I jumped on that.
“I was not sure what to expect last season but the league’s level of play exceeded what I expected and last year was certainly one of the crazier seasons I have played, with all the injuries and stuff like that but as a team we battled hard and made it to the end.
“Although, that left me personally wanting a bit more, so hopefully we can go a step further this season.”
In his 14-year-career so far, Keanu has featured in 651 matches, recorded 181 goals, 284 assists and collected 348 penalty minutes, while also playing in 35 playoff games, where he tallied 35 points (12G, 23A) and 14 penalty minutes.
Keanu is our fifth signing of this summer and joins Drydn Dow, Jonathan McBean, Jarrett Fiske, Jackson Desouza, Craig Moore and Craig Garrigan on next season’s roster.
Yamamoto will again wear #20 for the Stars.
To see Keanu’s career stats on Elite Prospects click HERE
