Florida Panthers Rookie Goalie Cooper Black — All 6-Feet-9 of Him — Makes NHL History in Debut
Rookie Cooper Black is 6-foot-8 and would surpass five 6-foot-7 goalies as Florida seeks a spark after a 5-1 loss, team officials said.
- On Thursday, October 22, 2026, Florida Panthers rookie Cooper Black made NHL history against the Pittsburgh Penguins, becoming the tallest goaltender to ever appear in a league game at 6-foot-8.
- The 25-year-old Michigan native joined the organization as an undrafted free agent in 2024 after playing college hockey at Dartmouth and developing with the AHL's Charlotte Checkers.
- Black surpasses the 6-foot-7 record previously shared by Ben Bishop, Mads Sogaard, Mikko Koskinen, Ivan Fedotov, and Dennis Hildeby, standing 6-foot-8 though listed at 6-foot-9.
- Following Jacob Markstrom's shoulder injury, Black was called up as Florida management hopes he stabilizes the team after a 5-1 loss to Ottawa on Wednesday night.
- Panthers head coach Paul Maurice praised Black's development in recent years, noting that for a player of his size, "it takes a long time to grow into that body.
21 Articles
21 Articles
The Toronto Star
Florida Panthers rookie goalie Cooper Black - all 6-feet-9 of him - makes NHL history in debut
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Florida Panthers goalie Cooper Black skated onto the PPG Paints Arena ice alone during pregame warmups on Thursday night, a time-honored hockey tradition given to rookies everywhere.
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
Florida Panthers rookie goalie Cooper Black — all 6-feet-9 of him — makes NHL history in debut
Florida Panthers goalie Cooper Black made NHL history in his debut. The 6-foot-9 Black became the tallest goaltender to play in a regular-season game when he headed to the Florida net before the opening faceoff. The 25-year-old from Alpen, Michigan,…
The Panthers' young goalie is playing his first game.
Panthers' Cooper Black To Be Tallest Goalie In NHL History
The Florida Panthers are on the verge of putting the tallest goalie in NHL history on the ice. Assuming the Panthers start their backup Cooper Black on the second night of a back-to-back on Thursday, he’ll be setting that record. Black is only on the roster because of the injury to Jacob Markstrom, but the […]
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