Ben Bishop finally got into a game with the Dallas Stars AHL affiliate on Thursday. His first taste of action since March 10, 2020.
“It was a lot of fun to be back out there,” Bishop said after allowing eight goals on 34 shots. “Obviously, would have liked a little different result, but it’s been a long process, a long road to be able to get back and play in a game. Obviously, there’s still a little work to be done, a little rusty, but it felt really nice to be back out there.”
Unfortunately for the 35 year-old netminder a different reality set in today.
Ben Bishop retires
Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill relayed that Bishop has decided to call it a career.
“After one game, he could tell,” Nill said. “That’s why he wanted to go give it a try. It was the best he’d felt in some time. We were thinking of putting him in some games earlier, around training camp time, but he just didn’t feel it was right then. He wanted to give it the best chance to heal up and to get it strengthened and get his game back in order so hopefully he could become a player again. So we’ve been kind of holding off. He’s been working hard. He’s done everything he could do from his end. He went down and played the one game, and in the end, he’s just unfit to play, unfortunately.”
NHL.com
Bishop underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee on Oct. 21, 2020 and has been working since then to come back.
“I feel terrible for him because he’s such a great person and as I’ve always said, when he’s on, he’s a top three goalie in the league,” Stars coach Rick Bowness told the Dallas Morning News. “He took us to the Finals in Tampa. When you go that far, you have a special bond.”
The 6-foot-7 goaltender, a two-time All-Star, signed a six-year, $29.5 million contract with the Stars in May 2017.
For his career, Bishop owns a 222-128-36 record with 33 shutouts, a 2.32 goals-against average and .921 save percentage. He played 413 NHL games with the St. Louis Blues, Ottawa Senators, Tampa Bay Lightning, Los Angeles Kings and Stars.
Bishop will address the media on Tuesday.
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