Panthers' 6-foot-9 Cooper Black becomes the NHL's tallest goaltender
Florida Panthers goalie Cooper Black made NHL history in his first career start, becoming the league's tallest goaltender at 6-foot-9.
The Florida Panthers turned to the biggest goaltender in NHL history on Thursday night. Cooper Black, listed at 6-foot-9, made his first career start for the Panthers against the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena, becoming the tallest goalie ever to play in the league.
Black stands two inches taller than the previous record holders. The 25-year-old from Alpen, Michigan, began playing at age 8 and was called up from Florida's AHL affiliate in Charlotte after Jacob Markstrom went down with a shoulder injury.
He looked the part early. Black stopped Penguins defenseman Kris Letang with his blocker pad on a wrist shot about two minutes into the game, then turned aside a breakaway chance for Rickard Rakell.
Nick Robertson eventually solved him, beating Black to the glove side — making the 5-foot-9 forward the first player to score a goal on a goaltender a full foot taller than him.
Panthers coach Paul Maurice praised Black's development in recent years. "A man that size, it takes a long time to grow into that body," Maurice said.
Black skated onto the ice alone during pregame warmups, a time-honored hockey tradition for rookies — and needed fewer strides than most to complete the memorable lap.
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