Jack Williams follows family footsteps to the crease, securing a standby role with the franchise where his relative, Ben Bishop, cemented a legendary goaltending legacy.
The Dallas Stars have reportedly signed former Notre Dame goaltender Jack Williams to serve as the team's full-time EBUG for the 2026-27 season, according to Elite Prospects' Sean Shapiro.
Williams, a St. Louis native, is the cousin of longtime NHL goaltender and Stanley Cup runner-up Ben Bishop, who spent five seasons with Dallas. The 25-year-old grew up following in Bishop's footsteps, having previously spoken publicly about hoping to one day follow his cousin's path to the NHL.
Before making the jump to the college ranks, Williams developed in the USHL, where he posted a 26-27-5 record with a 3.07 goals-against average and a .897 save percentage over 71 games across three seasons.
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He then joined Notre Dame's program, spending four seasons with the Fighting Irish, though he largely served in a backup role throughout his collegiate career, appearing in just six games total. In that limited action, Williams finished with a 4.62 goals-against average and a .864 save percentage.
While Williams likely won't see the ice unless both of Dallas's rostered goaltenders are unavailable in an emergency, the EBUG role has become a fun NHL storyline in recent years, occasionally thrusting amateur or off-ice personnel into unexpected moments on the biggest stage. For Williams, landing the job with Dallas keeps him around professional hockey and a franchise with deep ties to his own family's hockey story.
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