Alexander Karmanov (also Alexandru Carmanov, born 22 March 2008)[1] is a Moldovan ice hockey defenceman for the North Bay Battalion of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). He was selected by the San Jose Sharks in the seventh round of the 2026 NHL entry draft. At 7 feet 1 inch (2.16 m), he is the tallest person to be drafted in the history of the National Hockey League (NHL).
| Alexander Karmanov | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
March 22, 2008 | ||
| Height | 7 ft 1 in (216 cm) | ||
| Weight | 271 lb (123 kg; 19 st 5 lb) | ||
| Position | Defenceman | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| OHL team | North Bay Battalion | ||
| NHL draft |
201st overall, 2026 San Jose Sharks | ||
Playing career
editKarmanov became interested in ice hockey at a young age after witnessing a game played on a frozen lake.[2] However, his country, Moldova, has no ice rinks.[2] Growing up, his family frequently traveled with him across the region, including to Ukraine, Romania, Slovakia, and Czechia, to give him opportunities to play.[2] He moved with his mother to Podolsk, Russia, near Moscow, around age 10, after scouts who noticed him gave him an opportunity to join the youth academy at HC Vityaz.[2] After spending several years at Vityaz, eventually playing for the team at the U16 level, he left Russia for Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S., to play Tier I AAA hockey with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights U16 team in 2024.[2]
Karmanov appeared in 20 games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the Atlantic Youth Hockey League during the 2024–25 season, posting 11 goals and 12 assists.[2] After the season, he was selected by the Brantford Bulldogs in the third round, 172nd overall, of the 2025 CHL Import Draft.[3] Karmanov was the first Moldovan-born selection in the history of the CHL Import Draft.[4] He was also a 14th-round selection in the United States Hockey League (USHL) draft.[2] He joined the Bulldogs but was assigned to the Brantford Titans of the Greater Ontario Hockey League (GOHL) before the regular season.[5][6] Karmanov played fifteen games for the Titans and tallied three goals and four assists.[4] He was later released by Brantford before being acquired by the North Bay Battalion of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).[7]
Karmanov, standing at 7 feet 1 inch (2.16 m), became the tallest player in the history of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) when he played for the Battalion.[4] He appeared in twenty games for the team, recording two assists in the 2025–26 season.[8] Karmanov was selected by the San Jose Sharks in the seventh round, 201st overall, of the 2026 NHL entry draft, becoming the tallest NHL draft pick in history and tallest recorded hockey player worldwide.[9] He is also the first Moldovan-born NHL draft pick.[9] He uses custom-made equipment, including a hockey stick that measures at 70 inches (180 cm), "more than half a foot longer than the longest models seen in the NHL".[2] Karmanov committed to play college ice hockey for the Penn State Nittany Lions for the 2027–28 season.[9]
Personal life
editCareer statistics
edit| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2025–26 | Brantford Titans | GOJHL | 15 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 68 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2025–26 | North Bay Battalion | OHL | 20 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 29 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| OHL totals | 20 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 29 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
References
edit- ↑ "A 2.16-meter-tall Moldovan player was selected in the NHL draft by the San Jose Sharks". logos-pres.md. 2026-07-02. Retrieved 2026-07-02.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Mirtle, James; Wheeler, Scott (August 21, 2025). "The biggest hockey player on Earth is a 7-foot-tall teenager from Moldova". The Athletic.
- ↑ "Brantford picks 'largest hockey player on the planet' in Canadian Hockey League import draft, team says". CBC.ca. Associated Press. 3 July 2025.
- 1 2 3 "Karmanov a big addition". Report North Bay. 27 November 2025.
- ↑ Smiley, Brian (27 November 2025). "How world's tallest hockey player Alexander Karmanov fits in a bus". Brantford Expositor.
- ↑ Campbell, Ken (November 7, 2025). "This 7-foot-1 teen from Moldova makes Zdeno Chara look small. He's pursuing his NHL dreams in Ontario". Toronto Star.
- ↑ Dawson, Chris (26 November 2025). "Who is Alexander Karmanov? Meet the Battalion's newest 7-foot-1 defender". BayToday.ca.
- ↑ Rodriguez, Tristi (27 June 2026). "Sharks make NHL history after drafting Alexander Karmanov with No. 201 pick". NBC Sports Bay Area.
- 1 2 3 Clark, Ryan S. (June 27, 2026). "7-foot-1 Alexander Karmanov tallest player drafted in NHL". ESPN.
- ↑ "Alexander Karmanov". EliteProspects.com. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- ↑ "Moldavsko má prvého draftovaného hráča do NHL. Výškou pripomína basketbalistu, môže prekonať aj Cháru" [Moldova has its first player drafted to the NHL. He resembles a basketball player in height, he can even surpass Chara]. Sme (in Slovak). 28 June 2026.
External links
edit- Biographical information and career statistics from Eliteprospects.com