If anyone could find a way to enjoy the grind of hockey pre-season, it would of course be Seattle Kraken goalie Joey Daccord.
This involved much more than his play on the ice, where Daccord looked in mid-season form. He stopped 32 of 34 Oilers shots in a 4-2 Kraken victory at Climate Pledge Arena on Oct. 1. His other pre-season appearance was also against the Oilers, in Edmonton on Sept. 24. In a 4-1 Seattle victory, he stopped all 16 shots he faced in 40 minutes of work.
Not that stat-keeping is all that important before the games count, but that’s a 2-0-0 record for Daccord, 48 of 50 shots stopped, a 1.20 goals-against average and .960 save percentage. Just sayin’, not too shabby.
Daccord’s (Sun) Devil Of A Time
Daccord took a private-plane detour to Tempe, Arizona on Oct. 3 for Arizona State’s hockey home opener against Penn State. (Joey is giving the ASU “Forks Up” gesture in the social media image above left, and looking cool – as much as that’s possible in Arizona – after landing.) While much of the hockey world was fixated on Gavin McKenna’s first college game for the Nittany Lions – he’s the odds-on favorite to be the top pick at next summer’s NHL Draft – Daccord was visiting for another reason.
The Kraken goalie, who starred in net for the Sun Devils from 2016-19, had his #35 retired and hung in the rafters at Mullett Arena in a pregame ceremony. Both his parents and his brother were also in attendance. In 2019, he led all college goalies with seven shutouts, and powered ASU to an NCAA Tournament berth.
X screengrabs – Left image: @SunDevilHockey Right image: @PHNX_Hockey
“Honestly, it’s hard to put into words,” Daccord was quoted by TheHockeyWriters.com. “I came here knowing that Sun Devil fans were going to be crazy, and it was going to be a one-of-a-kind night, but it blew me away. I’m just so grateful to coach, this university, to the athletic program, to be here tonight and have this moment and share with my family and my friends.”
Although a Boston native now calling Seattle home, Daccord hasn’t forgotten his Arizona connection. He sponsors “Dac’s House,” a suite at Mullett Arena. Partnering with Phoenix Children’s Hospital, the suite hosts childhood cancer patients and their families for ASU hockey games. The Joey Daccord Community Impact Fund was established to provide access to hockey related resources, such as game tickets and clinics, for historically underprivileged youth. You can contribute here.
“He’s the greatest ambassador for our program you could ask for,” ASU hockey coach Greg Powers said. “He’s got a great story. He loves this place, he loves this institution. And I’m happy that they got to come back and see what he helped build.”
“I feel like it’s my duty and my responsibility to give back as much as I can to this program,” Daccord said. “That’s why I set up Dacs’ House. That’s why I try to be as involved as I possibly can to this school and to this program.”
Joey Multi-Tasks On Kraken Bench
KHN screengrab
Daccord also had fun with an unusual assignment on the Kraken bench. While serving as backup netminder against the Canucks at CPA on Sept. 21, the KHN broadcast fitted the goalie for a while with a headset and microphone.
“I’ve been asking to do this for a couple of years now,” Daccord told Kraken TV voice John Forslund. “I’ve never been afraid of speaking my mind.” However, he explained speaking up doesn’t extend to trash-talking on the ice. “Some guys need that (motivation through trash talk). As a goalie, I don’t want to put a target on my back. If you’re a goalie and you’re mixing it up with guys…”
When defenseman Adam Larsson took a penalty, he interjected, “We’re going on the kill here. It looks like Lars for interference. Sorry, John, I’m taking your job (laughing).” The quick-witted Forslund replied, “I’m going to go home now.” Daccord had the last word. “Sound good. See you tomorrow.”
New Kraken coach Lane Lambert is aware of Daccord’s desire to one day score an empty-net goal. “I think he knows if there’s an empty net, I’m going for it.” He credited teammates for positioning themselves to take advantage of his ability to play the puck. “When they’re ready for it and they’re getting back in there working, working back to be an option for me, then I have all those options, right?”
Daccord also heaped praise on goalie prospect Nikke Kokko, who replaced Daccord for the 3rd period of that Kraken victory in Edmonton on Sept. 24. “When you go in, you have to start off after sitting on the bench for 2 hours with a McDavid and Draisaitl Edmonton power play. That’s I guess a good way to get into it. And he was sharp right away. So yeah, credit to him.”