The Dallas Stars are bringing in a familiar hockey name for their emergency goaltending depth. According to Elite Prospects’ Sean Shapiro, the club has reportedly signed former Notre Dame netminder Jack Williams to be its full-time EBUG for the 2026-27 season.
Williams, who is 25 and from St. Louis, also has a direct family link to the Stars’ goaltending past.
He is the cousin of Ben Bishop, the longtime NHL goalie and Stanley Cup runner-up who spent five seasons in Dallas. Williams had previously said publicly that he hoped to one day follow Bishop’s path to the NHL.
His road to this point started in the USHL, where he put together a 26-27-5 record over 71 games across three seasons. In that span, he recorded a 3.07 goals-against average and a .897 save percentage.
Williams then moved on to Notre Dame, where he spent four seasons with the Fighting Irish. He was mostly a backup during that stretch and appeared in just six games. In those appearances, he posted a 4.62 goals-against average and a .864 save percentage.
The EBUG job usually stays out of the spotlight unless disaster strikes and both rostered goaltenders are unavailable. But the role has become one of the NHL’s more intriguing side stories, with emergency goalies sometimes getting pulled into unforgettable moments on short notice. For Williams, the opportunity keeps him tied to pro hockey and to a franchise that already has a strong connection to his family’s goaltending story.