Brandon Tanev Bio
Brandon Tanev is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who plays as a left winger for the Utah Mammoth of the National Hockey League (NHL). Standing 6 ft 0 in tall and weighing 190 lb, the undrafted forward has built a reputation as an energetic, hard-hitting contributor since making his NHL debut in 2016. Across stints with the Winnipeg Jets, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Seattle Kraken, he has been valued for his speed, penalty killing, and willingness to block shots.
Early Life and Background
Brandon Tanev was born on December 31, 1991, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He grew up as the middle child of Mike and Sophie Tanev, with all three sons taking up ice hockey at a young age. Tanev spent his minor ice hockey career with the Toronto Young Nationals of the Greater Toronto Hockey League, following in the footsteps of his older brother Christopher.
At the age of 15, both Brandon and Christopher were cut from their respective minor hockey teams for being undersized. Tanev did not play competitive hockey during high school, and instead filled his adolescence with cross country running, track and field, and soccer. He also practiced his skating independently with a private skills coach to stay connected to the game.
After experiencing a growth spurt during his final year at East York Collegiate Institute, Tanev returned to competitive hockey. He secured a roster spot with the Markham Waxers of the Ontario Junior Hockey League, where he posted 16 goals and 42 points in 46 regular-season games and was named the team’s rookie of the year. He later joined the Surrey Eagles of the British Columbia Hockey League, scoring 11 goals in 58 regular season games.
Path to Hockey
Overlooked in the NHL Entry Draft, Tanev committed to play college ice hockey for the Providence Friars of the Hockey East conference beginning in the 2012–13 season. He made his collegiate debut on October 13, 2012, and recorded his first goal and assist in a 3–2 win over Vermont on November 2 of that year. He finished his freshman season with four goals and seven assists in 33 games.
Tanev continued to develop across his sophomore and junior seasons with Providence, peaking during the 2014–15 campaign. He posted a career-high 10 goals and 23 points while helping the Friars qualify for the 2015 NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament. He scored an empty net goal in the East Region semifinal win over Miami, added another in the East Region finals against Denver, and delivered the game-winning goal against Boston University in the championship game to give Providence their first national title in program history.
Brandon Tanev Career
Early Career (2015–2017)
Upon completing his senior season at Providence, Tanev signed a one-year, two-way contract worth $925,000 with the Winnipeg Jets. He made his NHL debut on April 5, 2016, skating on a line with Adam Lowry and Chris Thorburn. He re-signed with Winnipeg on a one-year deal in July 2016 and opened the 2016–17 season on the Jets’ opening night roster, scoring his first two NHL goals in a 5–3 win over the Detroit Red Wings on November 4.
After struggling to produce consistently, Tanev was sent down to the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League on December 28, 2016. He spent the rest of the year alternating between the NHL and AHL, finishing with 51 NHL games and 23 AHL games played. Across both levels, he showed the energy and speed that would become hallmarks of his professional game.
Winnipeg Jets Breakthrough (2017–2019)
Tanev signed a one-year, $700,000 deal with the Jets for 2017–18 and settled into a checking line role alongside Adam Lowry and Andrew Copp. On March 27, 2018, he recorded his first NHL hat-trick, scoring three goals in a 5–4 overtime win against the Boston Bruins. He finished the regular season with 18 points in 61 games and skated in 17 playoff games, scoring his first postseason NHL goal on April 20, 2018, in a 5–0 series-clinching victory over the Minnesota Wild. The Jets were eventually eliminated by the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference finals.
After filing for arbitration, Tanev signed a one-year, $1.15 million contract with Winnipeg in July 2018. During the 2018–19 campaign, he produced career highs of 14 goals, 15 assists, and 29 points while leading the team with 278 hits and adding 81 blocked shots in 80 games. Despite playing through a hand injury suffered against the Minnesota Wild, he helped the Jets reach the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs before they were eliminated in the first round by the St. Louis Blues.
Pittsburgh Penguins Era (2019–2021)
Tanev left the Jets as a free agent and signed a six-year, $21 million contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins on July 1, 2019. His first goal with Pittsburgh came on October 16, 2019, a shorthanded overtime marker against the Colorado Avalanche that made him only the second Penguin in franchise history, alongside Mario Lemieux, to score such a goal. By the time the 2019–20 season was suspended in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he had recorded 11 goals and 25 points in 68 games while leading Pittsburgh forwards with 65 blocked shots.
In 2020–21, injuries limited Tanev to 32 games, in which he produced seven goals, 16 points, and a plus-12 rating. He returned from injured reserve in time for the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs and scored the game-winning goal in Game 3 against the New York Islanders, though the Penguins were eliminated in six games.
Seattle Kraken Era (2021–2022)
Tanev was selected by the Seattle Kraken in the 2021 NHL expansion draft on July 21, 2021, becoming an inaugural member of the franchise. He wasted little time making his mark, scoring twice in the Kraken’s first-ever win, a 4–3 victory over the Nashville Predators on October 14, 2021, and adding two more goals in their first home win at Climate Pledge Arena on October 26. His early production and high-energy play quickly made him a favorite among teammates and Kraken fans.
On December 18, 2021, Tanev suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament during a game against the Edmonton Oilers, ending his season. At the time of the injury, he had scored nine goals through 30 games. While recovering, he took on an outreach role with the team that included youth hockey clinics and virtual meetings with season-ticket holders.
Winnipeg Jets Return and Utah Mammoth Era (2025–Present)
On March 7, 2025, Tanev was traded back to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for a 2027 second-round pick. He opted to wear jersey number 73 with the team, as his previous number 13 was now worn by Gabriel Vilardi. After the season, he left Winnipeg as a free agent for a second time and signed a three-year, $7.5 million contract with divisional rivals the Utah Mammoth on July 1, 2025.
Driving Style and Strengths
Tanev is recognized as a relentless forechecker and penalty killer whose speed, shot-blocking, and physical play make him an ideal bottom-six winger. He is comfortable playing a shutdown role against opposing teams’ top scorers, having done so alongside linemates such as Adam Lowry and Andrew Copp in Winnipeg and Teddy Blueger and Zach Aston-Reese in Pittsburgh.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among his signature achievements, Tanev delivered the game-winning goal in the 2015 NCAA championship for Providence, recorded his first NHL hat-trick against the Bruins in 2018, and scored the shorthanded overtime winner for Pittsburgh against Colorado in 2019. He also scored twice in the Kraken’s first-ever franchise win during their inaugural 2021–22 season.
Brandon Tanev Career Wins
Brandon Tanev’s career has been defined more by his role as a high-energy complementary forward than by goal-scoring totals. He has produced multiple 10-plus goal seasons in the NHL, including a career-high 14 goals with the Jets in 2018–19, and has been a regular contributor on the penalty kill and in the faceoff circle.
NHL Highlights
Tanev’s first NHL goals came on November 4, 2016, against the Detroit Red Wings. His most memorable single-game performance came on March 27, 2018, when he scored his first NHL hat-trick in a 5–4 overtime win against the Boston Bruins. He has also delivered timely playoff goals, including a game-winner for Pittsburgh against the New York Islanders in the 2021 postseason.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond the NHL, Tanev’s most significant win came at the collegiate level, where his game-winning goal against Boston University gave the Providence Friars their first national championship in 2015. He was also named rookie of the year by the Markham Waxers of the Ontario Junior Hockey League after returning to competitive hockey in his late teens.
Brandon Tanev Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Brandon Tanev is the younger brother of fellow professional ice hockey defenseman Christopher Tanev, who has played in the NHL with the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, and Toronto Maple Leafs. A younger brother, Kyle, has also played hockey, most recently with the Caledonia Corvairs and the Trenton Golden Hawks of the Ontario Junior Hockey League. Tanev and his family are of Macedonian descent, with his grandparents having been born in Macedonia.
Personal Life
Tanev has been an active voice for mental health awareness in the NHL, participating in the #HockeyTalks campaign with the Jets in 2018 and 2019, and later partnering with Premera Blue Cross for a similar initiative with the Kraken in 2022. A widely shared image of a stunned expression from his Pittsburgh Penguins team head shot became an internet meme, which he has since recreated with the Kraken and during his second stint with the Jets.
2025 Season Performance
Tanev began the 2025 portion of the NHL calendar back with the Winnipeg Jets after being traded from Seattle in March 2025. Wearing jersey number 73, he slotted into a familiar bottom-six checking role for the stretch run and the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs. The reunion gave him a chance to contribute in a depth capacity while providing veteran leadership on a Jets roster chasing another deep postseason run.
Following the conclusion of the 2024–25 season, Tanev tested free agency for the second time in his career and signed a three-year, $7.5 million contract with the Utah Mammoth on July 1, 2025. The move positioned him on a young expansion-era franchise looking to establish an identity built on speed and physical play. He is expected to bring his trademark energy, penalty killing, and shot-blocking to a team that finished near the bottom of the standings the previous season.
Tanev will also bring international experience to Utah, having represented Canada for the first time at the 2024 IIHF World Championship, where he posted four goals and five points in ten tournament games. With a multi-year deal in hand and a defined role in place, his outlook for 2025 centers on providing the Mammoth with veteran stability as they continue building toward long-term competitiveness.
