Seven-foot-tall defenseman Alexander Karmanov has joined the North Bay Battalion OHL organization.
The tallest hockey player in the world has found a new OHL home. The North Bay Battalion has signed seven-foot, 265-pound Moldovan defenseman Alexander Karmanov.
There has been a ton of fascination surrounding Karmanov when the hockey world first found out about him. As a 15/16 year old, Karmanov was a man amongst boys playing for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights U16 Team last year.
The Brantford Bulldogs drafted Karmanov 137th overall in the 2025 CHL Import Draft. He suited up in three pre-season games for the club, recording six penalty minutes and was held without a point.
The Bulldogs decided to retain Czech import defenseman, and St. Louis Blues first-rounder Adam Jiricek, along with signing Minnesota Wild prospect Adam Benak, and top 2026 NHL draft-eligible prospect Vladimir Dravecky, both hailing from the country of Czechia.
With those three taking up Brantford’s three import roster spots, there was no room for the seven-foot defenseman. The Battalion secured Karmanov’s rights from the Brantford Titans of the GOHL, where the 17-year-old has been playing.
Through 15 games in the GOHL, Karmanov has recorded three goals and four assists for seven points, while adding another 68 penalty minutes in the process.
“This guy wants to be a hockey player. How he’s come so far in just like three or four months in the season is remarkable. He’s going to take some time here, but it’s somebody that we put into day-to-day work and gets up to our pace and our style and things that we want to do and how we want to play. He’s a pretty cool addition,” said North Bay Battalion Head Coach Ryan Oulahen.
Oulahen mentioned that he will be receiving special attention from Battalion Assistant Coach Bill Houlder, who brings over 800 games of NHL experience.
“It’s a big step in my career, the opportunity to be better, to have progress. A lot of work for me with him is a great opportunity, and it’s very good for my development. The small details he will teach me are very important as a defenceman,” said Karmanov.
As of right now, there is no timetable for Karmanov’s debut for The Troops. The organization appears ready to be patient with him and are hoping that he will become a big factor on their blueline in the future.
“We’ll have to see,” said Oulahen. “He’s here for practice today. I think there’s no expectations. I think putting in some good work with Billy here for a little bit is really going to help him, and then we’ll see kind of where it goes, but we feel like he’s a guy that can really help us at some point this season.
Karmanov is committed to Penn State University for the 2027-28 season, but his development path could change if he hears his name called at the 2026 NHL Draft.
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