A new era of goaltending is coming to the Dallas Stars and his name is Ben Bishop. If you don’t know a whole lot about him, here are some fun facts to get you acquainted.
It’s always fun when you get the chance to meet new people. Whether it’s at a social gathering, through work relations, or just sitting next to someone at a hockey game (I’m sure this happens often), there’s just something utterly fascinating about getting to know someone entirely new.
The same goes for getting to know NHL players who may join your favorite team. While there might not be the best chance that you get to meet them, there is still ways that you can get to know them.
Ben Bishop, 30, became the Dallas Stars’ new number one goaltender less than one week ago by signing a six-year deal. That contract has him wearing Victory Green until the end of the 2022-23 season.
That being said, don’t you want to know a little more about him? You probably already know that he is a top-10 goalie in the NHL, has incredibly stable numbers (148-80-25, .919 save percentage, 2.32 GAA) over his eight-year career, and knows how to lead a team to victory from the crease. He’s a high-caliber goalie that will give Dallas a significant edge starting next season. That much is sure.
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But what about the rest of Bishop that doesn’t have to do with being on the ice? Here are four fun facts that you might not yet know about the Stars’ newest goaltender.
1. He’s an American boy
It’s no secret that down here in the south, there is an infectious sense of patriotism. Everyone loves themselves a fresh slice of ‘Merica in Texas and makes it very known, especially around the Fourth of July.
Yet the Dallas Stars are near the bottom of the league in terms of American-born players. Surely this is just an odd coincidence, but it just seems so strange.
Currently, the Stars only have two American-born players on their roster, being Stephen Johns (Ellwood City, PA) and Greg Pateryn (Sterling Heights, MI). The two young defenders possess the American charm, but it goes no further than that.
Bishop will be adding to that group. His roots are a bit different, though. Instead of being born up north near the Canadian border where hockey lives, Bishop came from the midwest mountains of Denver, CO.
Fascinating.
2. Bishop is HUGE
Go back and look at the headline picture at the top of this article. Look at how tall Bishop is compared to the crossbar on the goal. He’s rather large.
He is currently logged at 6-7, though you may not notice it due to his crouched approach when in the middle of a game. Size is something that only helps goaltenders, especially when it comes to wingspan stretching of the pads. Bishop will bring that to the Stars’ crease.
In fact, Bishop is now tied with Jamie Oleksiak as the tallest player in Dallas Stars’ franchise history. That’s rather incredible.
And here we were all this time thinking Kari Lehtonen was massive in the crease at 6-4.
3. He’s got wedding bells in the near future
Yes, it’s true. Curtis McKenzie won’t be the only Dallas Star getting married this summer.
The LUCKIEST guy #heyfeyoncé 💑 pic.twitter.com/SkChjJKO9s
— Curtis McKenzie (@muckbro16) May 16, 2017
Ben Bishop is scheduled to get married this coming July. The ceremony will be held in Florida before moving on to Texas. Congrats to all of the Dallas Stars that are getting hitched.
4. He’s been here before
There aren’t many professional NHL players who can claim Texas as their birthplace. There also aren’t many that played high school hockey in Texas. Bishop can’t claim the first, but he can claim the second.
In 2004-2005, Bishop spent his senior year at Frisco High School. He also played for the Texas Tornado, the local NAHL team that turned into the Lone Star Brahmas after their 2012-13 campaign.
He played extremely well for the club too, posting a 35-8-0 record along with a .920 save percentage and 1.93 GAA, according to Hockey-Reference.com. Following his senior season, Bishop moved up to Maine for college play.
It’s hard to mention Bishop’s high school play in Frisco without at least attaching the video of his one fight. Go ahead and fast forward to about 1:15 and then enjoy. It’s quite an impressive right hook.
Hopefully you know Ben Bishop a little better now. He’s quite an interesting guy. Let’s hope that translates onto the ice next season.
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Welcome to Dallas, Ben. Glad to have you.