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The Brantford Bulldogs selected seven-foot, 273-pound defenceman Alexander Karmanov with the 172nd pick in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) import draft on Wednesday.
The Ontario Hockey League club, in a social media post announcing the choice, called the 17-year-old the “largest hockey player on the planet.” Karmanov would be the tallest junior player in the CHL, and, according to Elite Prospects, he is the tallest active registered hockey player in the world.
Recently elected Hall of Famer Zdeno Chara is the tallest player in NHL history at six feet nine inches. New York Rangers enforcer Matt Rempe, also listed at 6-9, is the tallest currently in the league.
Karmanov played last season for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights and had 34 points in 36 games at multiple levels of their program. Last summer, at age 16, he committed to play college hockey at Penn State in 2027.
Karmanov first Moldovan to play in OHL
The Bulldogs also added forward Adam Benak and defenceman Vladimir Dravecky, both from Czechia.
Karmanov is the first player from Moldova selected in the CHL Import Draft and would become the first to play for the Bulldogs and in the OHL.
In a news release issued Wednesday, the team said “Benak dominated the Czech system going back to the 2021-22 season at the U17 level posting 64 points in 34 games.” He was drafted by the NHL’s Minnesota Wild in late June.
The team says it is “extremely proud to welcome Adam, Vladimir & Alexander to the Bulldogs family and look forward to seeing all three have the opportunity to represent the organization and grow into great pro’s on and off the ice in the Bell city.”
The CHL Import Draft allows teams to select players from outside of North America. The league includes the Western Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey League and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.