Sharks’ Prospect Karmanov on Training with McDavid, OHL Hockey, and NHL Goals

Alexander Karmanov, the 7-foot-1 defenceman selected by the San Jose Sharks in the seventh round of the 2026 NHL Draft, 201st overall, has already become a curiosity piece across the sport because he is the tallest player ever drafted into the NHL. Born in Chisinau, Moldova, Karmanov holds both Moldovan and Russian citizenship, and his unusual frame has helped make him one of the most distinctive development stories in junior hockey.

In 2025-26, Karmanov moved through Brantford’s system before landing with the North Bay Battalion in the OHL, where he played 20 games and recorded two assists. Earlier in the same broad developmental stretch, he also played 15 games for the Brantford Titans, posting three goals and four assists, while continuing to draw attention for his reach, physicality, and long-term upside rather than finished production. He has also been publicly linked to Penn State as his college destination. In this translated interview, originally appearing on the popular Russian website MatchTV, Alexander Karmanov talks about training with Connor McDavid, life in the OHL, the NHL Draft, and international hockey.

**You can read the interview in Karmanov’s native Russian on MatchTV here**

Practicing with McDavid

Before the draft, Karmanov had a chance to practice with one of the world’s best players, Oilers forward Connor McDavid. “Connor is, of course, an enormous example to follow for any hockey player — really for any athlete” Karmanov says. “His level of professionalism is unbelievable. The coaches at the gym where I work with Gary Roberts told me that McDavid could show up at five in the morning on his wedding day just to get a workout in.”

“He is a complete professional. I’m riding the bike next to him, his friends are walking by, joking around, and he does not even react, he just keeps working. Because he knows what his job is. He has his priorities, and for me McDavid is a huge example: how he maintains discipline, how he focuses on every training session.”

“I watched how Gabriel Landeskog, Zach Hyman, Quinton Byfield, Zayne Parekh and others train there as well. I got to know a lot of them, and that’s really cool. When I look back on it, this is every kid’s dream: you are reaching up towards these players and trying to make yourself better too.”

Karmanov was quite impressed with McDavid also as a character, not only as a player. “We came to the gym on a Saturday to ride the bike. There usually aren’t many people there that day. So McDavid and I rode the bike together for 40 minutes. He said, ‘Hi, my name is Connor.’ I said, ‘I’m Alex.’ We got introduced, then he made himself a smoothie. We were riding down in the elevator together and he asked me, ‘How was your year in Brantford? Where are you from?’ I guess he already knew something about me. It’s really awesome when people like that talk to you and you can feel that their interest is genuine.”

Playing in the OHL

Karmanov moved to North America in 2024 as he started playing for the WB/Scranton Knights 16U AAA in the AYHL. In the next season, he had his OHL debut with the North Bay Battalion of the OHL. “I started playing in Brantford. But because they already had three imports there, and that’s the limit for the Canadian junior leagues, I had to play in the second-tier league while practicing with the main team,” he says.

“I got to know a lot of guys, made a lot of friends. I still keep in touch with the guys from the second team. Later I started playing in North Bay in the OHL. I think it’s the strongest junior league in the world. It can probably compete with a lot of pro leagues, that’s how much physical play there is and how much everyone on the ice is working and doing their job. The OHL is the highest level. Every day I try to become better.”

With his size, he doesn’t shy away from physical contact. “I had two fights during the season,” Karmanov recalls. “The first time, a guy went to the front of our net, we got tangled up, and he started getting chippy. Then he was yelling at me, ‘Get away! Get away!’ The second time it just sort of happened on its own. A guy ran into our goalie, I started cross‑checking him in the back, and it worked out that he dropped his gloves first and then I did. And then it all kicked off.”

In day-to-day life, Karmanov looks really like a peaceful guy. “I’m not going to fight without a reason. But sometimes, when you have to protect your teammates or your goalie, I understand that it’s my job. I try to play in the spirit of Nikita Zadorov, copying some things from him. Or Tyler Myers. These are big guys who also play a physical brand of hockey. That’s the role I have to perform. Fights and physical play are an important part of my game.”

Waiting for the Draft

It’s never easy for players to wait for the selections. However, Karmanov wasn’t overly worried. “I wouldn’t say I was extremely nervous before the draft. Maybe I was a bit anxious before my first interview with an NHL club, but after that I handled them calmly. I talk to people easily now, I’m used to it. I understand what they’re talking about and I know that being nervous won’t help me.”

“It was the same with the draft itself. Yes, of course I would have liked to be picked higher. But what’s the point of sitting there and worrying about it? It’s not going to help me if I wear my nerves out. So I try to focus only on the next few days and keep working to get better.”

Equipment, Size, and Daily Life

Being 7-foot-1 has its plus, but also poses some challenges. “My stick is about 70 inches, that’s 178 centimeters, but I saw off an inch or two, so it ends up around 175 centimeters. My sticks are custom‑made through my team. At first they kept breaking up near the top, then the company changed them and now they don’t break as much. They’re good sticks, I’m happy with them. I also met with another company at a camp; they’re supposed to make a stick and gloves for me too. I’ll try their technology as well.”

“The flex is 122. Last year I played with a 130 flex, but now I decided to lower that a bit. “The equipment manager in Brantford said I wear size 15 skates, that’s roughly a Russian size 49. My skates are made from a mold of my foot; they build the skates from that mold.”

However, he carries a normal hockey bag like all the other players. “My sneakers are size 17, which is about a Russian size 52. The equipment bag is the same as everyone else’s. The bag itself is huge. And if my gear is a bit bigger, that doesn’t mean it won’t fit in there. Everything fits fine, as long as you don’t throw in a bunch of extra junk.”

Of course, his height alone draws attention. “I’m used to it now; there’s no way around it. I might have reacted differently before, but now I’m calm about it. It’s part of my life, part of my path. I spend my time with people who accept me as I am. I have a great team; it’s fun with those guys, and they respect me. And people around me don’t really bother me that much. I walk into a store and people say, ‘Oh, you play in our league?’ They ask for a photo. Fans come up, ask questions. I’m comfortable with people who respect me.”

“In North America I live with a billet family. They’re wonderful people. In Brantford I also had a great family, we’re still in touch, and I visited them in the summer. And in North Bay I’m with another great family. They have a lot of grandkids and kids coming over; the house is always full and it’s fun. They’re fantastic people.”

International Scene

“As I improve, the question will eventually come up of which national team I want to play for. Right now I have Moldovan citizenship, but there is no Moldovan national team yet, so it’s impossible to play for them. I don’t think they even have an ice rink there.”

Theoretically speaking, any national team may try and recruit him. “That’s in theory. Because I also have Russian citizenship. The situation in the world is such that Russia is not currently allowed into international competitions. But I hope that the Russian national team will return soon, I believe in that. It would be great to play for Russia. But right now nothing is clear, and I’m trying to just focus on tomorrow. I need to put in a lot of work just to be able to match the level of international tournaments in the first place.”

Karmanov now stands at the crossroads where his dream of one day wearing a national‑team jersey meets the long, patient development path the San Jose Sharks hope will turn the tallest draft pick in NHL history into a legitimate professional force.