QUEBEC CITY. P.Q. – Freshly out of the college ranks with the Maine Black Bears, Ben Bishop is showing great promise in his first season with the Peoria Rivermen. Yet officials in the parent St. Louis Blues organization are the first to recognize that Bishop needs to work on his technique.
“We see lots of good things; he is a big guy with good athleticism and good anticipation as he reads the play well,” said Peoria coach Davis Payne. “He has consistency in his game that we want to see him improve. There are times that he tries to do too much and gets in trouble. He’s got to realize to just to do his job, be solid in his position use his size.”
Bishop could become the tallest goaltender to make it to the NHL. Surprisingly, he is agile around his net, and when called on, can stickhandle effectively. Payne wants Bishop to focus on the mental aspects of the game, beginning with staying focused when things don’t go his way.
To get a chance to become number one in the NHL Bishop will have to learn to be consistent night after night, be strong mentally and those are the things he will learn in the AHL. “You go from a college schedule and that type of expectations you know,” Payne said. “There are some nights you will have to be good at your game for your team to get a chance to win and there are going to be nights where you simply will face a better team. While at the pro level or coming into the NHL where there are quality players and scorers on every team, you have be sharp and establish a high level every single day.”
Only time will tell if Bishop will be successful in getting to the NHL. Until then He will quietly learn what he needs to learn in Peoria with the Rivermen.
Contact the author at: serge.poulin@prohockeynews.com
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