One of the tallest hockey players in the world hits the ice in Brantford, Ont.

One of the world’s tallest hockey players is hitting the ice in Brantford, Ont. CTV’s Colton Wiens finds out what’s behind the 7’0” teen’s success.

One of the world’s tallest hockey players is playing in Brantford, Ont.

Alexander Karmanov stands at 7’0” and, according to the online hockey database Elite Prospects, he is considered to be the tallest active hockey player in the world.

The defenceman turned 17-years-old in March, but he is already making a name for himself on the ice and with his teammates.

“He obviously protects the net with his big body,” James Gall, goalie for the Brantford Titans, said. “Then offensively, he’s pretty gifted. He knows when to move the puck, but he also knows when to take a shot and, speaking of his shot, honestly, it’s definitely the hardest shot that I’ve seen.”

The Ontario Hockey League’s Brantford Bulldogs chose Karmanov as the 172 overall pick in the 2025 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft, however he has been hitting the ice with the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League’s Brantford Titans, where he’s already making a big impression.

“There’s a lot of his game that needs to be improved to perform consistently at that level, and that’s what he’s here to do with us,” Jordan Clarke, assistant coach for the Brantford Titans, said. “He’s going to get a lot of minutes and get a lot of opportunities.”

Standing next to his teammates, he certainly cuts and imposing figure on the ice.

“He’s so kind. You might not understand his size at the moment, and that’s something that we’re also trying to work on with him,” Clarke said. “Just from the mental side of the game, if he can play up to size, he will be a force to be reckoned with at any level of hockey.”

So far, he has one goal and three assists across six games this season.

Helping him succeed also meant looking into getting special gear, including a custom jersey and extended sticks.

“[The hockey sticks] come with an extension built in. I believe that they were at 71 inches, 122 flex. The biggest ones I’ve seen,” Kamryn Bain, assistant equipment manager for the Brantford Titans, said.

Bain said they added six inches to the torso and seven inches to the sleeves of a standard jersey to make sure Karmanov had the gear he needed to represent Brantford proudly.

“We got three jerseys. That’s it. One of each colour. Hopefully, I don’t need extra,” Bain said.

Last season, Karmanov played AAA hockey in the United States and posted 33 points in 35 games. He has committed to play for Penn State in the NCAA.

He has also been attracting scouts from several leagues, including, reportedly, the NHL.

The towering titan was born in Moldova, and he said hockey was not a popular sport while he was growing up there, but he fell in love with it anyway.

“I like hockey. I chose it in my childhood, this sport,” he said. “I like the speed, I like the drive. It’s fun.”

For now, he’s taking the opportunity to have some fun and continue to grow.

“I’m trying to be physical because I’m big, so I have to use it,” Karmanov said.