sports
Sharks draft 7-foot-1 defenseman Karmanov at 201st pick
The San Jose Sharks selected 7-foot-1 defenseman Alexander Karmanov with the 201st pick. The 18-year-old became the tallest player ever drafted by an NHL team and the first Moldovan-born player selected.
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The San Jose Sharks selected 7-foot-1 defenseman Alexander Karmanov with the 201st pick on Saturday at the NHL draft in Buffalo, New York. The selection made the 18-year-old the tallest player ever drafted by an NHL team. Karmanov also became the first Moldovan-born player drafted into the NHL.
Player background Karmanov spent the 2025-26 season with the Brantford Titans in the Greater Ontario Hockey League. He later played 20 games for the North Bay Battalion in the Ontario Hockey League. He is scheduled to return to the Battalion next season before enrolling at Penn State in 2027.
League context If Karmanov reaches the NHL, he would become the tallest player to appear in a game. The current record for tallest player to skate in the league is a three-way tie at 6-9.
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