National Hockey League goaltenders wear a lot of protective equipment, but even those measures can’t completely prevent injuries.
A former University of Maine goaltender found that out the hard way on Tuesday night.
Ben Bishop, who stars for the Tampa Bay Lightning, took a puck to the mask during a game in Toronto against the Maple Leafs, according to a report from CBS Sports.
According to the report, a rocket of a shot from the Maple Leafs’ Peter Holland struck Bishop directly in the mask, sending him down to the ice.
The report said trainers rushed out, fearing Bishop had suffered a head injury, but it was quickly discovered that the goalie had had his top two front teeth knocked out as a result of the blast.
Undaunted, Bishop stayed in the game and recorded 40 saves, leading the Lightning to a 7-4 victory. He admitted after the game he was flabbergasted as to what happened.
“I don’t know, I just lost my front teeth,” Bishop told reporters in an interview posted on the Lightning’s Twitter feed. “I don’t know exactly what happened. I just felt both my teeth pop out.”
Bishop added that it was not very painful.
He has helped lead Tampa Bay to a 5-1 record so far this season and the Lightning are second in the Atlantic Division with 10 points, one point behind Montreal.
In four starts, Bishop has a 3-1 record with a 3.81 goals against average and an .885 save percentage.
Bishop played at UMaine from 2005-2008 and finished with a career record of 55-35-7 to go with a 2.29 GAA and a .917 save percentage. He departed ranked second most career saves (2,399), the third most games played (99), the third-best save percentage and the fourth-lowest GAA in program history.
