Ben Bishop
Three-time Vezina finalist and tallest goaltender in NHL history.
Benjamin Manning Bishop III, born November 21, 1986, is an American former professional ice hockey goaltender. Known as "Big Ben," he shares the title of tallest NHL goaltender ever with Mikko Koskinen, Mads Søgaard, Ivan Fedotov, and Dennis Hildeby. A three-time finalist for the Vezina Trophy, awarded to the league's best goaltender, Bishop played for the St. Louis Blues, Ottawa Senators, Tampa Bay Lightning, Los Angeles Kings, and Dallas Stars.
Growing up in suburban St. Louis after being born in Denver, Colorado, Bishop played forward until age eight before switching to goaltender. He played minor hockey for the Kirkwood Stars and St. Louis Junior Blues, including the 2000 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. At Chaminade College Preparatory School in St. Louis, he played high school hockey alongside Chris Butler and Paul Stastny. He later finished high school in Frisco, Texas, before attending the University of Maine.
During the 2004–05 season with the Texas Tornado of the NAHL, Bishop appeared in 45 games, posting a league-best 35 wins (including five shutouts) and eight losses. His 1.93 goals against average (GAA) ranked second in the league, and he led the Tornado to a second consecutive National Championship, earning a spot on the NAHL All-Rookie First Team.
As a freshman at the University of Maine in 2005–06, Bishop finished the regular season with a 21–8–2 record and a 2.28 GAA. His collegiate debut ended in an overtime loss to Colorado College, but the following weekend he led Maine to a sweep of back-to-back national champions, the University of Denver. He was named Hockey East Rookie of the Month and Goaltender of the Month in October 2005 and February 2006, and earned Rookie of the Week honors four times. Bishop led the Black Bears to the 2006 Frozen Four, where they lost to the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the semifinals despite his strong play. He returned to the Frozen Four in 2007, but Maine fell 4–2 to Michigan State University in the semifinals. As a junior in 2007–08, Bishop posted a 2.43 GAA and a .920 save percentage behind a weaker team.
Drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the third round (85th overall) of the 2005 NHL entry draft, Bishop signed with the team on March 11, 2008, and finished the season with their AHL affiliate, the Peoria Rivermen.
Quick Facts
- Birth Date
- 1986-11-21
- Birth Place
- Denver, Colorado, U.S.
- Height Ft
- 6
- Height In
- 7
- Weight Lb
- 225
- Position
- Goaltender
- Catches
- Left
- Played For
- St. Louis Blues / Ottawa Senators / Tampa Bay Lightning / Los Angeles Kings / Dallas Stars
- Ntl Team
- USA
- Draft
- 85th overall
- Draft Year
- 2005
- Draft Team
- St. Louis Blues
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Bishop grew up in suburban St. Louis, playing minor hockey for the Kirkwood Stars and St. Louis Junior Blues. He played forward until age eight, then converted to goaltender. He attended Chaminade College Preparatory School in St. Louis, playing high school hockey with Chris Butler and Paul Stastny, before moving to Frisco, Texas, and graduating high school there. He played for the Texas Tornado of the NAHL in 2004–05, posting a league-best 35 wins and leading the team to a second consecutive National Championship. At the University of Maine, he led the Black Bears to the Frozen Four in 2006 and 2007. Drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the third round of the 2005 NHL entry draft (85th overall), he made his NHL debut in relief on October 24, 2008. He was traded to the Ottawa Senators in February 2012, then to the Tampa Bay Lightning in April 2013. With the Lightning, he set franchise records for wins, save percentage, and goals against average, and was a Vezina Trophy finalist in 2013–14. He led Tampa Bay to the 2015 Stanley Cup Finals, where he revealed he had torn his groin during game two.
Reader's Guide
Ben Bishop's significance lies in his unique physical stature as the tallest goaltender in NHL history, a distinction he shares with four other netminders. His career trajectory from a third-round draft pick to a three-time Vezina Trophy finalist underscores his development into an elite goaltender. Bishop's tenure with the Tampa Bay Lightning was particularly notable: he set single-season franchise records for wins (40), save percentage, and goals against average, and became the Lightning's all-time leader in regular-season wins with 84, surpassing Nikolai Khabibulin. His playoff performance in 2015 was historic, as he joined Tim Thomas and Patrick Roy as the only goaltenders to post shutouts in two seventh games in a single playoff year, and he became the first goaltender to achieve that feat in his first playoff season. Despite playing through a torn groin in the 2015 Stanley Cup Finals, Bishop's resilience and consistent high-level play cemented his legacy as one of the top goaltenders of his era. His career also included stops with the St. Louis Blues, Ottawa Senators, Los Angeles Kings, and Dallas Stars.
Did You Know?
- Bishop played forward until age eight before converting to goaltender.
- He recorded his first NHL shutout against the Edmonton Oilers on February 25, 2011, stopping all 39 shots.
- Bishop became the first Lightning goaltender to record two assists in one game on March 30, 2015.
- He is one of only three goaltenders (along with Tim Thomas and Patrick Roy) to post shutouts in two seventh games in a single playoff year.
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