Dallas Stars goaltender Ben Bishop acknowledged Tuesday that he’s done playing hockey due to a severe knee injury.
The two-time All-Star hasn’t played in an NHL game in 15-plus months.
The 35-year-old Bishop said he first injured the knee during the 2019 postseason against the St. Louis Blues.
Pain persisted throughout the 2019-20 season with Bishop’s final appearance coming on Aug. 31, 2020, in a second-round playoff series against the Colorado Avalanche.
Bishop said he sought medical opinions and it was determined he needed surgery to repair the meniscus.
“When (the doctor) went in there, he realized the cartilage was wearing away and it was basically bone to bone,” Bishop detailed at an emotional press conference. “I was feeling a lot of pain trying to come back.
“Ultimately I couldn’t get that range back and that full power.”
Last Thursday, Bishop returned to the ice with the Texas Stars, the American Hockey League affiliate of Dallas, and allowed eight goals on 34 shots in an 8-4 loss against the Chicago Wolves.
That performance was telling to both Bishop and club brass that his playing career could not continue.
“I wanted to give it a try, hoping I could go down and everything would be OK,” Bishop said. “But obviously after the game it blew up. Talking to the doctors, it makes no sense to be ripping your knee apart if you can’t get back to playing.”
Bishop will remain on long-term injured reserve and be paid for the rest of this season as well for the $3.5 million he is owed in the 2022-23. The 6-foot-7 Bishop signed a six-year, $29.5 million contract with the Stars in May 2017.
Bishop owns a 222-128-36 record with 33 shutouts, a 2.32 goals-against average and .921 save percentage in 413 NHL games with the St. Louis Blues, Ottawa Senators, Tampa Bay Lightning, Los Angeles Kings and Stars. He led the NHL with a 2.06 GAA in 2015-16 as a member of the Lightning.
–Field Level Media
