Daring Encounter: Lefebvre Faces Off Against Karmanov

Most would hesitate to challenge a 7-foot-1, 280-pound hockey player. However, Liam Lefebvre is not among them. The Los Angeles Kings prospect faced off against San Jose Sharks prospect, Alexander Karmanov, the tallest player chosen in the NHL Draft, during the 2026 Rookie Faceoff.

The altercation occurred late in the third period of a game where San Jose triumphed 8-1. It began when Karmanov delivered a heavy hit to Kings defenseman, Jakub Dvorak, in the neutral zone. Dvorak’s resulting upper-body injury led several Kings players to confront Karmanov. Among them was Lefebvre, who took it a step further.

Standing at 6-foot-3, Lefebvre is robust, though alongside Karmanov, he appeared smaller. During their clash, Karmanov used his considerable reach advantage, resulting in Lefebvre ending up on the ice. Karmanov celebrated by inciting the San Jose crowd for more cheers as he skated to the penalty box.

Karmanov, drafted as the 201st overall pick in June’s NHL Draft, holds the record as the tallest player ever drafted into the league. The Moldovan defenseman remarked post-game that the fight was a natural progression of events on the ice, mentioning, “I asked the guy if he wanted to go. Yeah, we went.”