If you didn't know where to look, you wouldn't see him. But when Joey Daccord took the ice for his National Hockey League debut on April 4, 2019, in Buffalo, he was there. He was there in Game 7 of the 2023 Calder Cup Final against the Hershey Bears in Coachella Valley. And he was there at T-Mobile Park in Seattle on New Year's Day 2024, with his signature smirk across his face, when Daccord recorded the first shutout in NHL Winter Classic history. He was there because any time Daccord takes his place between the pipes, Sparky is with him, painted somewhere on his goalie mask.
"When I turned pro, I wanted to have one theme that sticks throughout all my masks, no matter where I play," Daccord said. "(Sparky) has been on every single mask I've had since I turned professional. It's a fun little thing, especially for my fellow Sun Devil alums and Sun Devil fans, to have an alum playing in the NHL and to have that little nod to the school on my mask. I feel really proud of it, and I am happy to put it on there."
Sparky's inclusion is emblematic of the impact Arizona State University and the Sun Devil hockey program has had on Daccord, and in turn, underscores the legacy Daccord has left at ASU. The first Sun Devil to sign an NHL contract, and most significantly, the first Arizona State hockey player to play in the NHL, Daccord's name will forever be part of Sun Devil hockey lore. Not just for his accomplishments on the ice, but also for the leap of faith he took in choosing to come to Tempe.
Growing up in the New England area, college hockey and the traditions of the Northeast hockey programs were all around him. He wanted to be a part of that rich history, and while he had discussions with some schools, the Division I schools in the area didn't pan out as an option. Enter Arizona State, who had no Division I history at all, but did have head coach Greg Powers, and his vision for the future of Sun Devil hockey. When Daccord committed to Arizona State, the program had yet to play a Division I game.
"I really took a chance on the program and the athletic department, and honestly, it was my meeting with Coach Powers when I came on my visit," Daccord recalls. "When he talked about the 'Be The Tradition' mantra, that was what really sold me on coming (to ASU) and creating my own history and my own tradition and being a part of building something. I put my faith in the athletic department that basically they would be able to deliver on the promise of bringing a Division I team to ASU."
He arrived in Tempe for the 2016-17 season, the program's first full season as an NCAA Division I member, and he made an immediate impact. He was in net for a 5-2 win over #18 Air Force at Gila River Arena in Glendale, giving him his first career victory in his second start and the school's first win over a ranked opponent. Later that season, Daccord would make 53 saves in a 4-2 win at eventual national runner-up Quinnipiac.
He took over starting goalie duties for his sophomore season, starting all but two games for ASU and setting the stage for his junior season of 2018-19. Daccord established himself as one of the top goaltenders in the nation that year, starting all 35 games in net, collecting big victories along the way, including an overtime win over #6 Penn State on the road. But it was the chance to suit up against Boston College, the school he grew up cheering for, that really stands out in his memory. The Devils swept the Eagles in Tempe, including a 2-0 shutout victory in the second game of the series.
"BC was my dream school. Growing up in Boston, that was where I wanted to go. Getting to sweep them and shut them out, that was special for sure."
With Daccord in net, Arizona State piled up victories, climbing as high as #10 in the rankings. It was a meteoric rise for the fledgling program, culminating in an NCAA Tournament berth, a rarity for an independent program. Daccord was also named a finalist for the Mike Richter Award, given annually to the nation's top collegiate goaltender.
"Honestly, we were just hoping to have a decent season," said Daccord. "(The NCAA Tournament) just kind of happened. I don't think anyone even thought it was a possibility until about 10 or 12 games in. I think things were really going our way and all of a sudden it seemed like it was really kind of destined to be. We just kept winning and coming up with big moments, and it was a fairy tale type run. We had a great group, and everyone bought into being a team and playing for the school and playing for the program."
His Sun Devil career came to a close following a 2-1 loss to Quinnipiac on March 30 in the NCAA Tournament, and just five days later he was suiting up for the Ottawa Senators in Buffalo, NY, to make his professional hockey debut against the Sabres. The next two seasons saw him play mostly in the American Hockey League, with a few more appearances for the Senators sprinkled in.
In July of 2021, he was selected by the Seattle Kraken in the Expansion Draft, joining the NHL's newest franchise. Over the next two years he would make 10 appearances for the Kraken, but it was his time in Coachella Valley for the AHL's Firebirds in 2022-23 that would really set the stage for his future.
Daccord appeared in 38 games for the Firebirds, posting a 26-8-3 record in the regular season before starting another 26 postseason games, leading Coachella Valley to the seventh game of the Calder Cup Finals.
"The playoff experience was huge," Daccord says. "To get to play all those games in a row last year in the playoffs, it really made me feel confident and settled in my foundation and had me believing in myself. I think it was huge and really helped kind of springboard into this past season."
Daccord played 50 games for the Kraken in 2023-24 after having appeared in 19 NHL games combined during his first five professional seasons. He found himself in some big moments, perhaps none bigger than the NHL Winter Classic on January 1, 2024. Playing in front of 47,313 fans at T-Mobile Park, home of MLB's Seattle Mariners, on national television against the defending Stanley Cup Champion Vegas Golden Knights, Daccord turned away 35 shots, leading the Kraken to a 2-0 victory, and etching his name in NHL history as the first goaltender to record a shutout in the history of the Winter Classic. It was certainly a far cry from the days of playing in front of under 1,000 fans at Tempe's Oceanside Arena.
"At the end of the day, it is a hockey game, but it was so different," Daccord says. "All the routines are different. The feeling inside the stadium, the depth perception. All the spatial awareness is completely different. It definitely took some getting used to. I was very focused in practice the day before trying to work on different sightlines, getting used to seeing the puck go up into the sky, as opposed to an arena ceiling. It was very different."
As memorable as the Winter Classic was for Daccord, the chance to return to Tempe and play an NHL game in Mullet Arena, which was only an idea on a piece of paper when he committed to the program, was an experience he won't soon forget.
"That was so cool. I don't think that will ever happen for anyone in the way that it did for me, where when I committed to ASU, they had no arena. They had a plan of hopefully getting an arena, but the plan wasn't finalized or even announced until after I left. To then feel like I was a big part in bringing that arena to ASU, seeing it happen, and then getting to come back and play in that arena in the NHL, it almost seemed like it was fake, or it wasn't even in the realm of possibility of something you could think of. Then for it to happen the way it did, it was so cool. I can't even really explain how cool it was for me."
With the Coyotes moving to Utah, Daccord is glad he got the opportunity to play a game on ASU's campus.
"I just felt super grateful to get that chance. And, now seeing that the Coyotes left, I may not ever have that chance again, which I didn't know at the time, but now I am super glad that I did play there. I might be biased, but I loved playing in there."
Making it even more special was the chance to skate against fellow Sun Devil Josh Doan of the Arizona Coyotes on ASU's campus.
"I was talking to (Doan) in warmups and said, 'hey, congrats, it's great to see another Sun Devil in the NHL.' That was just such a cool moment, to be out there and share the ice with him."
Even after a successful 2023-24 season that saw him finish with a .916 save percentage, good for sixth-best in the NHL, Daccord knows that he must keep working hard to improve his game and not let the success he's had go to his head.
"I still turn on the NHL playoffs right now and it takes me a second to realize that I play in that league," Daccord noted. "I still have to kind of pinch myself. It took me longer than most to get to the NHL. I only made it in the league for my first-year full time at 27 years old. I feel like I don't take it for granted. I am very grateful for it and I still have the mentality that I have to prove myself every single night. I think that's important for me to have that mindset moving forward."
But even as he navigates his life as an NHL goaltender, Daccord still follows Sun Devil hockey and is excited for what the future holds for the program as it embarks on its first season in the NCHC.
"It's going to be great for the program to be competing in one of the best conferences in college hockey and always playing against great teams every single night. I think it will be a great challenge for them," Daccord says. "The more exposure that the university gets, that the team gets, the better. I think as time goes on, more and more kids are going to see how great of a university it is and how great of an opportunity it is to come play here. I just think it will keep developing and keep building. It's still such a young program, less than 10 years. It's only going to keep getting better."
As Sun Devil hockey continues to grow, it's no secret to Daccord why the program has already achieved so much success in such a short amount of time.
"Arizona State is a premier destination in terms of location, the facility, the resources. That's one thing I talk about a lot with people who ask me about ASU. I tell them that we were provided every single resource to excel, on the ice, off the ice, in the classroom. For me, it's an incredible place to go to school and play hockey. You have the best of both worlds. You have an incredible athletic department that's committed to giving you the best experience possible and giving you every opportunity to succeed. That's why my experience was as good as it was, and that's why you are seeing more kids and players have success there."
As he looks back on his time at ASU, it is still hard for him to believe how far the program has come and just how much it helped him in his career.
"I think the further away I get from my time at ASU the more real it feels. Sometimes it's hard to believe where the program was when I first committed and wondering what it was going to be and how it would turn out. Now when I look back, everything that I could have hoped to happen basically did. I got to go to the school, I got to play hockey, we had all the success, made the tournament. I was able to sign a pro contract and now I've played in the NHL. It definitely kind of brings it all full circle and I can't imagine it going a different way. Now when I look back at the journey, it seems a little crazy, but it's really special to me. I am incredibly grateful to the university for the opportunity they gave me."
As for his legacy at Arizona State, Daccord has embodied the mantra of "Be The Tradition". His three seasons in net produced some truly significant moments for a program in its infancy, and his junior year is the stuff of legends. His love for the program and for the university are on display whenever he takes the ice, and it would be no surprise to see him one day enshrined in the Sun Devil Hall of Fame.
"I remember on my official visit with Coach Powers, he took me through the Hall of Fame, and walking around and seeing all the legends that reached the pinnacle of their sport and to see them as ASU Hall of Famers, I can remember thinking, wow, I would love to be in here one day, and if I did get that opportunity, it would be an incredible moment in my life."
Whether he was riding buses as a member of the Brampton Beast of the ECHL, leading the Coachella Valley Firebirds to an AHL Western Conference championship and a trip to the Calder Cup Finals, or being named the First Star of the NHL Winter Classic, Daccord knows his path to the pinnacle of professional hockey began in Tempe.
"It's hard to put into words the opportunity that (ASU) gave me. Coach Powers came right in and he told me, we are going to give you an opportunity. We think you can be a special player and we think you can help this team. I will be forever grateful. They really gave me my shot. I think when I look back on it now, it's been an incredible journey, and ASU played a gigantic role in it, and I am forever grateful to Coach Powers and the university."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Randy Policar (Class of 2002) spent four years as a student worker in the Sun Devils Sports Information office while earning his degree in broadcasting. He worked three years as the PR Director for the Arizona Rattlers before returning to his alma mater in 2005 as a sports information director, where he worked with volleyball, baseball and football. He is currently an Assistant Project Manager for Strategic Communications, HDR Engineering. Born and raised on Seattle sports and an ASU hockey season ticket holder, this was a fun piece for him to write.
"When I turned pro, I wanted to have one theme that sticks throughout all my masks, no matter where I play," Daccord said. "(Sparky) has been on every single mask I've had since I turned professional. It's a fun little thing, especially for my fellow Sun Devil alums and Sun Devil fans, to have an alum playing in the NHL and to have that little nod to the school on my mask. I feel really proud of it, and I am happy to put it on there."
Thanks to @ShiftyPaint for crushing my first @SeattleKraken mask!! #LFG #findsparky pic.twitter.com/dOcdPFWPeW
— Joey Daccord (@JDac35) September 13, 2021
Sparky's inclusion is emblematic of the impact Arizona State University and the Sun Devil hockey program has had on Daccord, and in turn, underscores the legacy Daccord has left at ASU. The first Sun Devil to sign an NHL contract, and most significantly, the first Arizona State hockey player to play in the NHL, Daccord's name will forever be part of Sun Devil hockey lore. Not just for his accomplishments on the ice, but also for the leap of faith he took in choosing to come to Tempe.
Growing up in the New England area, college hockey and the traditions of the Northeast hockey programs were all around him. He wanted to be a part of that rich history, and while he had discussions with some schools, the Division I schools in the area didn't pan out as an option. Enter Arizona State, who had no Division I history at all, but did have head coach Greg Powers, and his vision for the future of Sun Devil hockey. When Daccord committed to Arizona State, the program had yet to play a Division I game.
"I really took a chance on the program and the athletic department, and honestly, it was my meeting with Coach Powers when I came on my visit," Daccord recalls. "When he talked about the 'Be The Tradition' mantra, that was what really sold me on coming (to ASU) and creating my own history and my own tradition and being a part of building something. I put my faith in the athletic department that basically they would be able to deliver on the promise of bringing a Division I team to ASU."
He arrived in Tempe for the 2016-17 season, the program's first full season as an NCAA Division I member, and he made an immediate impact. He was in net for a 5-2 win over #18 Air Force at Gila River Arena in Glendale, giving him his first career victory in his second start and the school's first win over a ranked opponent. Later that season, Daccord would make 53 saves in a 4-2 win at eventual national runner-up Quinnipiac.
He took over starting goalie duties for his sophomore season, starting all but two games for ASU and setting the stage for his junior season of 2018-19. Daccord established himself as one of the top goaltenders in the nation that year, starting all 35 games in net, collecting big victories along the way, including an overtime win over #6 Penn State on the road. But it was the chance to suit up against Boston College, the school he grew up cheering for, that really stands out in his memory. The Devils swept the Eagles in Tempe, including a 2-0 shutout victory in the second game of the series.
"BC was my dream school. Growing up in Boston, that was where I wanted to go. Getting to sweep them and shut them out, that was special for sure."
With Daccord in net, Arizona State piled up victories, climbing as high as #10 in the rankings. It was a meteoric rise for the fledgling program, culminating in an NCAA Tournament berth, a rarity for an independent program. Daccord was also named a finalist for the Mike Richter Award, given annually to the nation's top collegiate goaltender.
"Honestly, we were just hoping to have a decent season," said Daccord. "(The NCAA Tournament) just kind of happened. I don't think anyone even thought it was a possibility until about 10 or 12 games in. I think things were really going our way and all of a sudden it seemed like it was really kind of destined to be. We just kept winning and coming up with big moments, and it was a fairy tale type run. We had a great group, and everyone bought into being a team and playing for the school and playing for the program."
His Sun Devil career came to a close following a 2-1 loss to Quinnipiac on March 30 in the NCAA Tournament, and just five days later he was suiting up for the Ottawa Senators in Buffalo, NY, to make his professional hockey debut against the Sabres. The next two seasons saw him play mostly in the American Hockey League, with a few more appearances for the Senators sprinkled in.
In July of 2021, he was selected by the Seattle Kraken in the Expansion Draft, joining the NHL's newest franchise. Over the next two years he would make 10 appearances for the Kraken, but it was his time in Coachella Valley for the AHL's Firebirds in 2022-23 that would really set the stage for his future.
LET'S GO! Congratulations @JDac35! #BeTheTradition pic.twitter.com/e55rEebCgq
— Sun Devil Hockey (@SunDevilHockey) July 22, 2021
Daccord appeared in 38 games for the Firebirds, posting a 26-8-3 record in the regular season before starting another 26 postseason games, leading Coachella Valley to the seventh game of the Calder Cup Finals.
"The playoff experience was huge," Daccord says. "To get to play all those games in a row last year in the playoffs, it really made me feel confident and settled in my foundation and had me believing in myself. I think it was huge and really helped kind of springboard into this past season."
Daccord played 50 games for the Kraken in 2023-24 after having appeared in 19 NHL games combined during his first five professional seasons. He found himself in some big moments, perhaps none bigger than the NHL Winter Classic on January 1, 2024. Playing in front of 47,313 fans at T-Mobile Park, home of MLB's Seattle Mariners, on national television against the defending Stanley Cup Champion Vegas Golden Knights, Daccord turned away 35 shots, leading the Kraken to a 2-0 victory, and etching his name in NHL history as the first goaltender to record a shutout in the history of the Winter Classic. It was certainly a far cry from the days of playing in front of under 1,000 fans at Tempe's Oceanside Arena.
"At the end of the day, it is a hockey game, but it was so different," Daccord says. "All the routines are different. The feeling inside the stadium, the depth perception. All the spatial awareness is completely different. It definitely took some getting used to. I was very focused in practice the day before trying to work on different sightlines, getting used to seeing the puck go up into the sky, as opposed to an arena ceiling. It was very different."
As memorable as the Winter Classic was for Daccord, the chance to return to Tempe and play an NHL game in Mullet Arena, which was only an idea on a piece of paper when he committed to the program, was an experience he won't soon forget.
"That was so cool. I don't think that will ever happen for anyone in the way that it did for me, where when I committed to ASU, they had no arena. They had a plan of hopefully getting an arena, but the plan wasn't finalized or even announced until after I left. To then feel like I was a big part in bringing that arena to ASU, seeing it happen, and then getting to come back and play in that arena in the NHL, it almost seemed like it was fake, or it wasn't even in the realm of possibility of something you could think of. Then for it to happen the way it did, it was so cool. I can't even really explain how cool it was for me."
The first shutout in #WinterClassic history? Joey Daccord.
— NHLonTNT (@NHL_On_TNT) January 1, 2024
The first Cocoa Cup winner in #WinterClassic history? Joey Daccord. ?? pic.twitter.com/iM9BrAukLS
With the Coyotes moving to Utah, Daccord is glad he got the opportunity to play a game on ASU's campus.
"I just felt super grateful to get that chance. And, now seeing that the Coyotes left, I may not ever have that chance again, which I didn't know at the time, but now I am super glad that I did play there. I might be biased, but I loved playing in there."
Making it even more special was the chance to skate against fellow Sun Devil Josh Doan of the Arizona Coyotes on ASU's campus.
"I was talking to (Doan) in warmups and said, 'hey, congrats, it's great to see another Sun Devil in the NHL.' That was just such a cool moment, to be out there and share the ice with him."
Even after a successful 2023-24 season that saw him finish with a .916 save percentage, good for sixth-best in the NHL, Daccord knows that he must keep working hard to improve his game and not let the success he's had go to his head.
"I still turn on the NHL playoffs right now and it takes me a second to realize that I play in that league," Daccord noted. "I still have to kind of pinch myself. It took me longer than most to get to the NHL. I only made it in the league for my first-year full time at 27 years old. I feel like I don't take it for granted. I am very grateful for it and I still have the mentality that I have to prove myself every single night. I think that's important for me to have that mindset moving forward."
But even as he navigates his life as an NHL goaltender, Daccord still follows Sun Devil hockey and is excited for what the future holds for the program as it embarks on its first season in the NCHC.
"It's going to be great for the program to be competing in one of the best conferences in college hockey and always playing against great teams every single night. I think it will be a great challenge for them," Daccord says. "The more exposure that the university gets, that the team gets, the better. I think as time goes on, more and more kids are going to see how great of a university it is and how great of an opportunity it is to come play here. I just think it will keep developing and keep building. It's still such a young program, less than 10 years. It's only going to keep getting better."
As Sun Devil hockey continues to grow, it's no secret to Daccord why the program has already achieved so much success in such a short amount of time.
"Arizona State is a premier destination in terms of location, the facility, the resources. That's one thing I talk about a lot with people who ask me about ASU. I tell them that we were provided every single resource to excel, on the ice, off the ice, in the classroom. For me, it's an incredible place to go to school and play hockey. You have the best of both worlds. You have an incredible athletic department that's committed to giving you the best experience possible and giving you every opportunity to succeed. That's why my experience was as good as it was, and that's why you are seeing more kids and players have success there."
As he looks back on his time at ASU, it is still hard for him to believe how far the program has come and just how much it helped him in his career.
"I think the further away I get from my time at ASU the more real it feels. Sometimes it's hard to believe where the program was when I first committed and wondering what it was going to be and how it would turn out. Now when I look back, everything that I could have hoped to happen basically did. I got to go to the school, I got to play hockey, we had all the success, made the tournament. I was able to sign a pro contract and now I've played in the NHL. It definitely kind of brings it all full circle and I can't imagine it going a different way. Now when I look back at the journey, it seems a little crazy, but it's really special to me. I am incredibly grateful to the university for the opportunity they gave me."
As for his legacy at Arizona State, Daccord has embodied the mantra of "Be The Tradition". His three seasons in net produced some truly significant moments for a program in its infancy, and his junior year is the stuff of legends. His love for the program and for the university are on display whenever he takes the ice, and it would be no surprise to see him one day enshrined in the Sun Devil Hall of Fame.
"I remember on my official visit with Coach Powers, he took me through the Hall of Fame, and walking around and seeing all the legends that reached the pinnacle of their sport and to see them as ASU Hall of Famers, I can remember thinking, wow, I would love to be in here one day, and if I did get that opportunity, it would be an incredible moment in my life."
Whether he was riding buses as a member of the Brampton Beast of the ECHL, leading the Coachella Valley Firebirds to an AHL Western Conference championship and a trip to the Calder Cup Finals, or being named the First Star of the NHL Winter Classic, Daccord knows his path to the pinnacle of professional hockey began in Tempe.
"It's hard to put into words the opportunity that (ASU) gave me. Coach Powers came right in and he told me, we are going to give you an opportunity. We think you can be a special player and we think you can help this team. I will be forever grateful. They really gave me my shot. I think when I look back on it now, it's been an incredible journey, and ASU played a gigantic role in it, and I am forever grateful to Coach Powers and the university."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Randy Policar (Class of 2002) spent four years as a student worker in the Sun Devils Sports Information office while earning his degree in broadcasting. He worked three years as the PR Director for the Arizona Rattlers before returning to his alma mater in 2005 as a sports information director, where he worked with volleyball, baseball and football. He is currently an Assistant Project Manager for Strategic Communications, HDR Engineering. Born and raised on Seattle sports and an ASU hockey season ticket holder, this was a fun piece for him to write.