The Tallest Goalie in NHL History Uses a 24-Inch Paddle
- Cooper Black, at 6-foot-9, is the tallest goalie ever to play in the NHL, surpassing the previous mark of 6-foot-7 held by Ben Bishop and others.
- Black uses a 24-inch paddle on his CCM stick — shorter than the 26- and 27-inch paddles many goalie parents buy for young players.
- A high lie angle stands the paddle up closer to 90 degrees, effectively raising where the hand sits and adding functional length without a longer paddle.
- Paddle length labeled on a stick only tells part of the story — lie and grip shape determine how a paddle actually sits in a goalie's stance.
- A 3-inch shaft extension on Black's stick is used solely for puckhandling and does not affect paddle fit or stance coverage.
Cooper Black made his NHL debut for the Florida Panthers on Thursday in Pittsburgh, stopping 17 of 20 shots. At 6-foot-9, he is now the tallest goalie ever to play in the NHL, taller than Ben Bishop and the other 6-foot-7 goalies who held that mark.
This story started with a quick note. We were going through goalie sticks at The Hockey Shop for upcoming gear segments, so we sent Cooper a text message asking what size paddle he uses. He sent back a video of his stick, told us how much he loves it, and added a puzzle: “It says 24, but it’s a 26.”
You might expect the tallest goalie in NHL history to use the tallest paddle he can find. He doesn’t. The paddle on Black’s CCM stick is marked 24 inches, shorter than the 26- and 27-inch paddles many parents reach for when they buy a stick for a young goalie. And so unless your young goaltender is 6-foot-9, chances are they don’t need the biggest paddle you can find.
How does a 24 become a 26? We took the question to Matt Jenkins, CCM’s goalie product manager.
How a 24 plays like a 26
Jenkins walked us through Black’s setup. Black moved into a pro pattern this preseason after CCM had him try a sample. He had loved his previous pattern and didn’t expect to switch.
Two things make the shorter paddle work for a goalie his size:
- The lie. Black uses the highest lie CCM makes, which puts the paddle and the blade closer to a 90-degree angle. With the blade flat on the ice, a higher lie stands the paddle up more, which brings his hand closer to his body.
- The paddle shape. The new pattern’s grip changes where and how the stick sits in his hand, and Jenkins says it gives him more coverage.
Paddle length is measured from the heel of the blade to where the shaft begins, so the label tells only part of the story. Put that 24-inch paddle at his lie and in his grip, and Jenkins says it sits in his hand the way a 26 would.
Black does add a 3-inch extension to the top of his shaft, but it is there only for puckhandling. It has nothing to do with how the paddle sits in his stance.
What it means for your goalie
We made the case for shorter paddles in a parent segment back in 2024 (How Long Should a Goalie Stick Be, and Can You Cut It Down?), and Black’s stick makes the same point from the top of the sport:
- Size the stick for the butterfly. Goalies make almost no stick saves standing up. The paddle should let your goalie hold the stick comfortably on the ice while down in the butterfly.
- Bigger usually costs more than it covers. A paddle that’s too long slows a goalie down, makes stick saves awkward, will open holes between the arm and body in the butterfly, and makes it harder to learn to handle the puck. Buying big to grow into it usually means a season of playing with the wrong stick.
- Get it fitted. Take your goalie to a retailer who knows goalie sticks and try a few lengths in a stance. At camp, see if another goalie, or perhaps a teammate, will let your goalie try what they use.
Black talked about his path from undrafted to the Panthers with us on InGoal Radio Episode 352, and you can follow his career on his goaltender profile.