Brandon Tanev is a Canadian professional ice hockey player born on December 31, 1991, in Toronto, Ontario.
He plays as a left winger in the National Hockey League (NHL) and currently skates for the Utah Mammoth.
Standing at 6 feet tall and weighing around 190 pounds, Tanev is known for his energetic, physical style of play, strong defensive contributions, shot-blocking ability, and penalty-killing prowess.
He is the middle of three brothers in a hockey-loving family and has carved out a solid NHL career despite going undrafted and facing early setbacks in his development.
Siblings
Brandon’s older brother, Christopher (Chris) Tanev, is a veteran NHL defenseman who has played for teams including the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Dallas Stars, and Toronto Maple Leafs.
The two brothers have faced each other in NHL games multiple times, creating memorable family rivalries on the ice while sharing excitement for each other’s successes, such as Chris joining the hometown Maple Leafs.
Their younger brother, Kyle Tanev, has also played hockey at the junior level, including stints with teams in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League and Ontario Junior Hockey League.
All three brothers began playing hockey young in the Greater Toronto Hockey League, though Brandon and Chris were notably cut from minor hockey teams at age 15 for being undersized before later growth spurts and dedicated work helped them advance.
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Career
After being cut from minor hockey and stepping away from competitive play during high school, Tanev focused on other sports like soccer, cross country, and track while practicing skating on his own.
A late growth spurt allowed him to return to hockey, where he played junior hockey with the Markham Waxers in the OJHL and the Surrey Eagles in the BCHL.
He then committed to Providence College in the Hockey East conference, enjoying a standout four-year college career.
In his senior year, Tanev was instrumental in Providence’s run to the 2015 NCAA Division I national championship, scoring the game-winning goal in the final against Boston University.
He signed with the Winnipeg Jets as an undrafted free agent after college and made his NHL debut in 2016.
With the Jets, he developed into a reliable checking-line forward and penalty killer, contributing to deep playoff runs, including the 2018 Western Conference Final.
As a free agent, he signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2019, where he continued his role as a gritty, two-way forward on a line often matched against opponents’ top scorers.
The Seattle Kraken selected him in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft.
He played key seasons there before later stints that included a return to Winnipeg and eventually joining the Utah Mammoth.
Accolades
At the college level, he helped win the 2015 NCAA national championship with Providence and earned multiple Hockey East weekly honors along with the Robert Gaudreau, Jr. Award.
In the NHL, he has been a consistent performer on special teams and in physical play categories, such as hits and blocked shots.
He was the Seattle Kraken’s nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which recognizes perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.
He has also represented Canada internationally and earned recognition as a top player on his team at the World Championships.
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