The signing of backup goaltender Ty Conklin by the Blues this summer was not a sign of disenchantment with prospect Ben Bishop.

Bishop, the club's third-round pick in 2005, played in six games with the Blues last season and showed signs of NHL potential. He had a record of 1-1-1 to go with a 2.94 goals-against average and an .893 save percentage.

Although Bishop will start out this season in Peoria, where he was 15-16 with a 2.81 GAA last season, the 6-foot-7 netminder has shown in training camp that he has worked hard this summer to remain in the mix.

Bishop made saves on 23 of 24 shots while playing half of Tuesday's 3-1 exhibition win over Minnesota.

"Ben has had a tremendous summer and looks a lot stronger," Blues coach Andy Murray said.

Bishop, a St. Louis native, remained in town this summer and had one of the best attendance records at the team's training facility.

"We had a good end-of-the-year meeting last year and I wanted to show them from the start that I put in the effort, and hopefully it keeps going like it is," Bishop said. "I feel really good right now. I think working with (Blues coach Rick Wamsley) over the last two or three years, it's really starting to come together."

This summer, the Blues hired former NHL goalie Ed Belfour to work with the club's minor-league netminders, an arrangement to which Bishop is looking forward.

"I'll get a chance to learn from one of the best goalies to ever play the game," Bishop said. "You can put him up there with Martin Brodeur and Patrick Roy. I'm just going to be a big sponge and soak it in. You can ask him just about everything and he'll have an answer for it."

Bishop remembers going to Blues' games as a child and screaming "B-E-L-L-L-F-F-F-O-U-R-R-R!"

"I was there for a few of those games," said Bishop.

KING IS INJURED

Blues forward D.J. King has suffered a thumb injury that could keep him out at least a couple of weeks. King has not practiced the past couple of days, and on Wednesday, he was wearing a splint on the thumb when he left the rink.