Barely a week after former University of Maine goaltender Scott Darling signed a four-year contract with the Carolina Hurricanes, another former Black Bear netminder has a deal with a new team.
Ben Bishop, who spent last season with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Los Angeles Kings, has signed a $29.5 million deal with the Dallas Stars that will keep him in Texas for the next six seasons.
The team announced the deal on Friday morning in a statement posted on its website.
The 30-year-old Bishop was acquired by Dallas on May 9 in a deal that sent a fourth-round draft pick to Los Angeles.
Bishop joins former UMaine captain Devin Shore in Dallas.
Bishop played only 39 games between Tampa Bay and Los Angeles last season, compiling an 18-15-5 record, a .910 save percentage and 2.54 goals-against average.
In spite of those numbers, the 6-foot-7 Bishop has been one of the NHL’s most consistent goaltenders over the last few seasons.
During the 2015-2016 regular season, his 2.06 GAA was tops in the league, and he was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy, presented to the league’s best goaltender every season.
In 2014-2015, he helped lead Tampa Bay to the Stanley Cup Finals, where it fell in six games to the Chicago Blackhawks, for whom Darling played at the time.
Bishop has also spent time with the Ottawa Senators and St. Louis Blues, and has a 2.09 GAA and .927 save percentage in 36 postseason games.
Bishop’s signing with Dallas is a homecoming of sorts, as he played with the NAHL’s Texas Tornado during 2004-2005 prior to attending UMaine.
He was instrumental in leading the Black Bears to their last NCAA Frozen Four appearance in 2007.
He was originally a third-round draft pick of the Blues in 2005.
Bishop will look to guide the Stars back to the postseason next year after Dallas finished sixth in the seven-team Central Division.
