Longtime NHL goaltender Ben Bishop (Maine) formally announced his retirement from professional hockey earlier this week, due to a degenerative condition in his right knee. The injury cost him all of last season, which would have been his fifth consecutive campaign with the Dallas Stars. He made his final playing appearance by starting in one game for Texas (AHL) this fall.
Bishop, 35, played in the NHL from 2008 to 2020, suiting up for the St. Louis Blues, Ottawa Senators, Tampa Bay Lightning and Los Angeles Kings before finishing up in Dallas. In 413 career regular-season appearances, he posted a record of 222-128-36 with a 2.32 goals-against average, a .921 save percentage and 33 shutouts, along with 12 assists offensively. He went 29-21 (2.27, .924) in 52 Stanley Cup playoff contests, and backstopped Tampa Bay to the 2015 Stanley Cup Final, although he was unable to complete that series due to injury. He was also a three-time finalist for the Vezina Trophy as the league's best goaltender.
Born in Denver, Bishop grew up in Missouri and was a product of Chaminade College Prep, the St. Louis Amateur Blues, and Texas (NAHL) before enrolling at the University of Maine in 2005, several months after he was drafted 85th overall by St. Louis. In three seasons in Orono, the 6-foot-7 netminder went 55-35-7 (2.29, .917) in 99 games overall with the Black Bears, whom he also backstopped to the 2007 NCAA Frozen Four in St. Louis. In 176 career AHL games, he finished 91-64-15 (2.62, .912) with Peoria, Binghamton and Texas over seven seasons.
A two-time Hockey East All-Academic selection, Bishop was also named to two NHL Second All-Star Teams. He was also a member of the bronze medal-winning U.S. squad at the 2013 World Championship in Sweden//Finland, where he led the Americans to three victories while he was in net.
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