Florida Panthers Goaltender Cooper Black to Become Tallest in NHL History

Florida Panthers goaltender Cooper Black is set to make history on Thursday night when he takes the ice against the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena. Standing at a towering 6-foot-9, Black will officially become the tallest netminder ever to play in an NHL game, surpassing the previous record height of 6-foot-7 shared by former and current goaltenders including Ben Bishop, Mikko Koskinen, Mads Sogaard, Ivan Fedotov, and Dennis Hildeby.

The Panthers recalled the 25-year-old goaltender from their American Hockey League affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers, following an injury to veteran starting netminder Jacob Markstrom. Markstrom is expected to be sidelined for 10 to 14 days after being struck by a puck in practice. With Akira Schmid serving as part of the goaltending picture, Black's promotion offers the team fresh depth in the crease.

Black enters his milestone debut carrying strong form from the AHL. In three starts with the Checkers this season, he has posted a 2-1-0 record alongside a 2.67 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage. His most recent outing on Saturday featured 33 saves in a 4-2 victory over the Hartford Wolf Pack, demonstrating his readiness for high-volume action.

Originally signed by Florida as an undrafted free agent in April 2024 following his collegiate career at Dartmouth College, Black earned a two-year, two-way contract extension on June 8, 2026. He also saw preseason action for the Panthers, stopping 14 shots in a 5-3 win against the rival Tampa Bay Lightning on September 24.

Florida head coach Paul Maurice expressed high praise for the rookie's athletic abilities and technical structure rather than relying purely on his unprecedented physical stature. "That's a big lad, and he moves like an athlete," Maurice stated. Reflecting on his preseason performance, the coach added, "He looked efficient. He was small in the right way. He wasn't all over the place. He didn't look like he was solely relying on his size to make saves. We're looking forward to seeing him. We think we've got a real good one there."

Preparing for the momentous matchup, Maurice joked about skipping his usual motivational speech for a goaltender preparing for a first start, opting instead to let Panthers goaltending coach Robbie Tallas handle the final pregame preparations. As Black steps onto the ice in Pittsburgh, the hockey world will watch to see if his historic frame reshapes the visual standard for the position.