Brandon Carlo (born November 26, 1996) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Bruins selected him in the second round, 37th overall, of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.
Born and raised in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Carlo did not follow his older brothers into American football but instead played ice and street hockey with his neighbor. He spent five years of minor ice hockey with the Colorado Thunderbirds before joining the Tri-City Americans of the Western Hockey League (WHL) for the end of the 2012–13 season. After receiving praise from coach Jim Hiller during the 2013–14 season, Carlo was an assistant captain for the Americans over the next two seasons. When the 2015–16 season came to an end, he began his professional career with a brief stint for the Providence Bruins of the American Hockey League.
Carlo made the Bruins' opening-night roster for the season, where he was paired with veteran captain Zdeno Chára. Chára was paired with Charlie McAvoy the following season, and Carlo found a new partner in Torey Krug. After injuries sidelined Carlo for what would have been his first two postseason appearances, he finally appeared for the Bruins in the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs, helping Boston to a championship appearance against the St. Louis Blues. Both Chára and Krug left the Bruins after the season, and Carlo was paired with Matt Grzelcyk. He missed most of the season with multiple injuries, but returned in on a six-year contract extension with the Bruins.
Early life
Carlo was born on November 26, 1996, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the youngest child of Angie and Lenny Carlo. The Carlos' neighbors were an ice hockey family, and Brandon frequently played both ice and street hockey with their son. Always tall for his age, Carlo was a defenseman for his youth hockey teams. Carlo's older brothers played American football, and Carlo spent some time as a running back for a local team, but he preferred hockey. His hometown National Hockey League (NHL) team was the Colorado Avalanche, and Carlo's favorite player was Rob Blake.
Carlo played minor ice hockey with the Colorado Thunderbirds, who played an hour outside of Colorado Springs in Denver. In 2009, he participated in the Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Thunderbirds. Carlo spent five years with the Thunderbirds, and served as the team's captain during his last year, the 2012–13 season. That season, Carlo was Colorado's top-scoring defenseman: in 41 games, he had 10 goals and 47 points, as well as 58 penalty minutes. He also spent two seasons playing for his local team at Pine Creek High School while simultaneously commuting to Denver to play for the Thunderbirds.
Playing career
Junior
The Tri-City Americans of the Western Hockey League (WHL) selected Carlo in the 10th round, 214th overall, of the 2011 WHL Bantam Draft. He joined the Americans for the end of the 2012–13 season, as he was limited to only six games with his junior ice hockey team. He made his WHL debut in the first game of the 2013 playoffs, scoring his first goal against the Spokane Chiefs. He appeared in all five playoff games for the Americans, who were eliminated by the Chiefs in the first round. Carlo returned to the Americans for a full rookie season in 2013–14. He was paired with several veteran defenseman throughout the first half of the season, and by the midway mark, he had two goals and two assists in 35 WHL games. In the second half of the season, he was paired predominantly with Mitch Topping and spent time on the Americans' penalty kill unit. He did not significantly contribute offensively, providing only three goals and 10 assists in 71 regular season games, but coach Jim Hiller praised Carlo's defensive abilities. In the 2014 WHL playoffs, Carlo contributed one assist in the Americans' first-round series against the Kelowna Rockets, which the Americans lost in five games.