Lille MHC have added Japanese international Koji Yamasaki to their line-up for the new season as they look forward to their return to the EHL next month.
He is the latest new arrival for the club, bringing over a decade of international experience, notably winning the Asian Games in 2018 and playing at the Tokyo Olympics and the World Cups in 2023 and 2026.
It follows a busy summer of changes for the French champions after reclaiming the national title in dramatic fashion, defeating Racing Club de France in a shoot-out after a 1-1 draw in the French championship final.
Lille held their nerve in a marathon shoot-out, with Park Junseok eventually firing home the winning effort to secure the club’s 17th French championship and complete a memorable domestic double for the club along with their women’s side.
That triumph, however, marked the end of an era for several of Lille’s homegrown stars. Club icons Brieuc Delemazure, Malo Martinache and Gaspard Denis, all products of the LMHC pathway and key figures in the title-winning campaign, have moved on to major European clubs.
Delemazure joins Dutch side HC Rotterdam, Martinache heads to Gantoise and Denis moves to Uccle Sport.
To start the new era, Lille have doubled down on youth. One of the headline arrivals is Jonas Mahé from Racing Club de France. He is regarded as one of France’s most exciting young prospects and scored against Lille in the French final.
Still only in his teens, Mahé already boasts U21 World Cup experience and was part of the French side that reached the final of the 2025 U18 EuroHockey Championship. He is joined by another French U21 international, forward Léo Beaunieux, who arrives from Girondins de Bordeaux after scoring 19 league goals last season.
The influx of young talent continues with French youth internationals Pierre Piot, Raphaël Couture and Clément Mourcia. Piot arrives from Douai after progressing through France’s national youth setup, while Couture and Mourcia are both products of the highly regarded CREPS development system in Wattignies and have represented France at underage level.
Lille also welcome back Arthur Golliot from Iris Hockey Lambersart, a former French champion with the club and a player already familiar with the surroundings.
In Europe, Lille will be appearing in their sixth EHL season. Their most recent campaign came in 2024 when they defeated Grasshopper Zürich to reach the KO8 before falling to Belgium’s Royal Léopold.
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