Panthers' Cooper Black becomes tallest goalie to play NHL game

Florida Panthers goalie Cooper Black, standing 6-9, made NHL history on Thursday by becoming the tallest goaltender to appear in a regular-season game, surpassing the previous record held by players listed at 6-7 including Ben Bishop and Ivan Fedotov. The 25-year-old from Alpen, Michigan, called up after Jacob Markstrom suffered a shoulder injury, made 18 saves in his first career start but lost 4-0 to the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena. Black, signed as an undrafted free agent in 2024, had experienced a dramatic growth spurt in high school, growing from 6-0 to well beyond 6-5.