Cooper Black set the Cooper Black NHL height record Thursday, becoming the tallest goaltender to ever appear in a regular season game at 6-foot-9. The 25-year-old from Michigan made his NHL debut for the Florida Panthers against the Pittsburgh Penguins, stopping 18 shots and surpassing a group of goalies who had shared the previous mark at 6-foot-7.
The Main Development
Black’s debut broke a record held jointly by Ben Bishop, Mikko Koskinen, Ivan Fedotov and Mads Søgaard, all of whom stood 6-foot-7. At 6-foot-9, Black gives NHL goaltending a new benchmark for size, a detail that drew attention even before puck drop, according to Bleacher Report.
The Panthers recalled Black from their American Hockey League affiliate in Charlotte on Tuesday, Oct. 20, according to NHL.com. He backed up Akira Schmid the following night in a 5-1 loss at the Ottawa Senators before getting the call against Pittsburgh.
What It Means For Florida’s Crease
The timing traces directly to an injury to Jacob Markstrom, Florida’s No. 1 goaltender, who sustained an upper-body issue in practice on Monday. The Panthers expect Markstrom to be out 10 to 14 days, according to CBS Sports. Before the injury, Markstrom had posted a 3-1-1 record with a 2.21 goals-against average, a .897 save percentage and one shutout across six appearances this season.
With Markstrom sidelined, Schmid is in line to handle most of the starts, leaving Black as the depth option the Panthers now trust enough to activate in a real NHL game rather than just practice.
Black’s Path To The Crease
Black signed with Florida as an undrafted free agent in 2024 and had appeared in just one preseason game before Thursday, a 5-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sept. 24 in which he made 14 saves. Panthers coach Paul Maurice said that outing gave him confidence in Black’s game beyond his frame.
“I thought the game against Tampa was a fantastic tell for him,” Maurice said. “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.”
Season Context
Florida enters this stretch at 5-3-2, sitting fourth in the Atlantic Division to open the 2026-27 season. The Panthers’ goaltending depth is now being tested with Markstrom out, and Black’s emergence gives the organization a third option who has already proven he can hold his own at the NHL level, regardless of his unprecedented height.
What’s Next
Markstrom’s 10-to-14-day recovery window points toward a possible return in early November, though no official date has been set. Schmid is expected to carry the bulk of Florida’s starts in net until then, with Black available as a recalled option behind him.
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