Brandon Carlo

Brandon Carlo (born November 26, 1996) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Boston Bruins selected him in the second round, 37th overall, of the 2015 NHL entry draft. He played the first nine seasons of his career with the Bruins until his trade to the Maple Leafs in 2025.

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 2016–17 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 2019–20 season, and Carlo was paired with Matt Grzelcyk. He missed most of the 2020–21 season with multiple injuries, but returned in 2021–22 on a six-year contract extension with the Bruins.