Keanu Yamamoto, a McGill University graduate, has inked a one‑year agreement to join Briançon in France’s Ligue Magnus, marking his inaugural professional chapter on French ice.
The 27‑year‑old forward brings a solid collegiate résumé, having tallied 46 goals and 123 points across 142 university games while completing an economics degree in 2022.
Before the move, Yamamoto honed his skills abroad, spending a season with Scotland’s Dundee Stars and later competing in the US‑based Rapid City Rush of the ECHL, experiences that prepared him for the rigors of European play.
He follows a lineage of McGill alumni who have made their mark in professional hockey, a group that now includes ten active players, five of whom are based in France, and Yamamoto becomes the 30th former Redmen to skate in the country.
A milestone for McGill hockey
Yamamoto’s addition signals yet another chapter in the university’s expanding footprint across international ice rinks, illustrating how Canadian university talent continues to leave a imprint abroad.
The French club, based in the Alpine town of Briançon, benefits from the player’s blend of Canadian university experience and transatlantic exposure, a combination that could prove pivotal for its ambitions.
With his brother Kailer already navigating the NHL, Keanu Yamamoto’s new contract not only personalizes a family narrative but also adds depth to the growing Canadian presence in French hockey.
The move underscores a broader pipeline that sees McGill graduates regularly testing themselves in competitive environments beyond North America, a trend that bodes well for both the university’s athletic reputation and the sport’s global development.