The North Bay Battalion went big and went home on Thursday night. The Battalion dressed seven-foot-one-inch defenceman Alexander Karmanov for their game versus Sarnia.

Karmanov is the tallest player to ever play in the Canadian Hockey League and Thursday, against the Sarnia Sting, was his first-ever Ontario Hockey League game. The original plan was to have him practice with the club for a few weeks then dress for games. That plan went out the window eight days after the hulking defenceman was acquired by the Battalion.

Head coach Ryan Oulahen had said on Wednesday that the plan was to ease Karmanov into the game. That appeared to be the case as the defenceman had two shifts in the first period. Oulahen did play Karmanov in the second and third period despite the game being a tightly

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