Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
Penn State’s hockey team made a splash last year when it landed a commitment from Alexander Karmanov, the teenager who was listed at 6’11” and 250 pounds when he announced his plans to play for the Nittany Lions. However, he’ll be even bigger when he ends up making his highly-awaited debut.
Boston Bruins legend Zdeno Chara became the tallest player in NHL history when the 6’9″ defenseman made his debut in 1997, although Matt Rempe tied that mark when he suited up for the Rangers in 2024.
That kind of height doesn’t necessarily give you a massive advantage in hockey—it can be more of a hindrance than anything when it comes to keeping up with quicker players—but it can come in handy when it comes to defending and generating extra leverage on shots (Chara set a record that hasn’t been topped at the All-Star Game Skills Comeptition in 2012 with a clapper that was clocked at 108.8 MPH).
There’s no telling if a Russian prospect (by way of Moldova) will end up setting a new mark to beat when it comes to the tallest NHL players, but the current record will be firmly shattered if he makes it to the league after a recent growth spurt.
17-year-old Penn State commit Alexander Karmanov is now officially listed at 7’1″ and 280 pounds
You have to be a pretty plugged-in hockey fan to be familiar with Alexander Karmanov, the defenseman who was born in Chisinau, Moldova in 2008, played youth hockey in Russia and Belarus, and headed to the United States for a stint with a team in Scranton, Pennsylvania before going up to Canada to join the Brantford Titans of the GOJHL.
However, you don’t have to know who he is to know who he is when you watch videos of a game he played in, as Karmanov is an Absolute Unit who stood at 6’11” and tipped the scales at 250 pounds when he committed to play college hockey at Penn State in 2024.
Karmanov isn’t slated to suit up for the Nittany Lions until the 2027-28 season, and while there’s no telling what those numbers will be when he makes his debut, Cam Robinson of Elite Prospect notes he’s continued to grow after being officially measured at 7’1″ and 280 pounds.
It’s worth noting the Titans website “only” lists him at 7’0″ and 278 pounds, but he’s certainly going to be a prospect worth keeping an eye on in the coming years.