The CHL held its annual import draft on Wednesday and the Brantford Bulldogs selected a giant presence for their blue line in seven-foot defenceman Alexander Karmanov.
“The largest hockey player on the planet is on his way to #BFD,” the team said on X.
Karmanov, who hails from Chisinau in Moldova, weighs in at an impressive 273 pounds.
He spent last season playing in the U.S. for the Wilkes Barre Scranton Jr. Knights under-16 team, where he recorded 11 goals, 12 assists and 60 penalty minutes in 20 games.
The tallest player in NHL history is Ottawa Senators legend Zdeno Chara.
“Having already drawn headlines around the world for surpassing even Hall of Fame defenseman Zdeno Chara’s 6’9″ frame, the towering left shot blueliner will look to work his way to wearing black & gold of his own with the Brantford Bulldogs,” a release from the team offered.
Karmanov, who was born in March 2008, is reportedly committed to play hockey at Penn State University and is NHL draft eligible in 2026.
Line Change: Hockey’s New Development Path – Part 2 (SJHL)
CHL teams were allowed to have two non-North American players on their roster every year but that number was recently increased to allow for a third next season.
The CHL annually holds a draft among all of the teams from the QMJHL, OHL and WHL to select the rights to players from overseas. Not all those drafted will ever play major junior hockey in Canada, as teams still need to sign the players.