Panthers Sign Cooper Black To Two-Year Contract

Given that Sergei Bobrovsky and Daniil Tarasov could depart the organization in free agency this summer, the Florida Panthers are doing everything they can to keep most of their goaltending depth intact. The Panthers announced that they’ve signed netminder Cooper Black to a two-year, two-way contract.

Black, 24, recently wrapped up his second professional season. He’s a relative success story, grinding it out with the BCHL’s Nanaimo Clippers only five years before committing to Dartmouth College ahead of the 2022-23 campaign. His first season at Dartmouth didn’t go well, with Black finishing with a 5-23-1 record in 30 games with a .899 SV% and 3.07 GAA.

Despite the bad performance, Black remained with the program for what would be his last season in the NCAA. The next year went much better, managing a 13-8-8 record in 30 games with a .910 SV% and 2.58 GAA. Although the Big Green finished fourth in the ECAC Conference, they were eliminated in the conference semifinals by Cornell.

Still, that was enough for the Panthers to give him a shot, and they inked Black to his entry-level contract that same year. He played a few games with the ECHL’s Savannah Ghost Pirates, but primarily played for the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers during the 2024-25 campaign. Black finished with an 11-4-2 record in 17 games with a .910 SV% and 1.98 GAA.

Finally, Black was given the reins for the 2025-26 season, and he turned it into a decent year. The Alpena, MI native managed a 25-13-4 record in 43 games with a .903 SV% and 2.47 GAA. Unfortunately, Black couldn’t keep that success going in the Calder Cup playoffs, and the Checkers were eliminated in three games.

Unless something goes horribly wrong this offseason, there’s little chance of Black beginning the 2026-27 season with the Panthers. Even with the likely exit of Bobrovsky and Tarasov, Black will remain Florida’s third-string option heading into next season.