OTTAWA, Ont. — For someone who was supposed to be in the minors for most of the season, Clark Bishop has been a tidy addition to the NHL's Ottawa Senators.
Barring any lineup changes, Bishop was to make his fifth straight start for the Sens Monday night in Ottawa against the Calgary Flames.
The 24-year-old centre from St. John’s was one of two players Ottawa acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes in separate deals early in the New Year; the other player coming to the nation’s capital from Carolina was forward Ryan Dzingel, a former Senator.
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But while Dzingel went to Ottawa, Bishop, who had been swapped for defenceman Max Lajoie, was immediately assigned to the American Hockey League, where he spent most of his time while in Carolina’s system winning the 2019 Calder Cup league championship with the Charlotte Checkers.
Bishop opened his 2020-21 season with the AHL’s Belleville Senators, but not until after he had quarantined for two weeks after travelling to Ontario from Newfoundland. When he debuted with Belleville Feb. 12, it was almost exactly 11 months since he last played a game before the AHL was shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic.
He had one goal in three games with the B-Sens at the time of his March 1 recall to Ottawa.
In his first four NHL games this season, Bishop has a couple of assists. Not exactly eye-popping numbers, but Senators head coach D.J. Smith, the former St. John’s Maple Leafs defenceman, sure seems pleased with the pivot's play.
In Bishop, the Senators know exactly when they’re getting — a swift centreman who knows how to play a defensive game. In other words, he’s a player, who is dependable.
Then again, Smith had some first-hand knowledge about Bishop. The two had been part of Canada’s team that won the 2013-14 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup, Smith as an assistant coach, Bishop as a 17-year-old forward
Last week, in Ottawa's Paddy’s Day win over the Vancouver Canucks, a game that was decided by a shootout, Bishop saw a lot of ice time late in the game.
“Tenacity, speed, staying on pucks, all of the above, Clark has been a…really nice surprise."
— D.J. Smith
And, according to the Ottawa Sun, Smith plans on working Bishop into the penalty-killing units to increase his ice time. He’s currently receiving just over eight minutes of ice per game.
“Tenacity, speed, staying on pucks, all of the above, Clark has been a…really nice surprise,” Smith told the Sun. “His speed through the middle of the ice, his availability for the defence … this was a guy who, for the most part, was scheduled to be in the AHL this year.”
Bishop was drafted 127th overall in 2014 by the Hurricanes.
He appeared in 25 career NHL games with Carolina, with a goal and three assists. He also started in two 2019 playoff games with the Hurricanes.
No doubt, he’s hoping for more with the Senators.
Robin Short is The Telegram's Sports Editor.
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Twitter: @TelyRobinShort