ASU Hockey: Daccord becomes first ASU player to sign NHL contract

Just days after their NCAA Tournament loss to Quinnipiac, ASU junior goaltender Joey Daccord signed an official NHL contract to join the Ottawa Senators on Monday afternoon.

A seventh round draft pick of Ottawa in 2015, Daccord had a decision to make in regards to either signing with the Senators or becoming an free agent this summer. He started every game in net for ASU in the 2018-19 season and he posted a 2.35 goals against average and a .926 save percentage. He had one year left in Tempe if he did not sign with the Senators.

The contract that Daccord signed was a two-year entry level deal.

Quinnipiac head coach Rand Pecknold described Daccord as one of the “top-three goalies in the country” after Saturday’s game against the Sun Devils. Daccord didn’t declare right after the game, but he did discuss the matter at hand and what his time as a Sun Devil meant to him after the loss to the Bobcats.

“I think there are so many things that go into that (decision). There wasn’t a dry eye in that locker room tonight after that game and every one of those players means so much to me,” Daccord said. “Regardless of what happens in the future, I am still incredibly thankful to Arizona State and all the wonderful teammates that I’ve met. I am just so fortunate to be apart of this.”

Daccord also put up a post on Sunday night about his 2018-19 season at ASU before officially signing with the Sens on Monday.

The North Andover, Massachusetts native has been one of the most integral players on ASU’s roster the last few seasons. He is currently a finalist for the Mike Richter Award as the nation’s top goalie in college hockey. According to College Hockey News Reporter Greg Cameron, he also plans to finish classes over the next week.

The next player in-line to step between the pipes for Daccord would seem to be freshman goaltender Evan DeBrouwer, who did not start a game in 2018-19. Nevertheless, DeBrouwer was a finalist for the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) Goaltender of the Year award for the Prince George Spruce Kings on his junior team.

Above all, Daccord helped in enhancing the ASU hockey program. He was second in the nation in shutouts, and his play will likely live on through future years of Sun Devil Hockey. He was a part of history on the first ASU team to make the poststeason, and he will be on an NHL playing surface in the near future, according to the Senators.

“This was our goal (to make the NCAA Tournament) from day one and I remember when Coach Powers called me. He was like, ‘We are not just going to start a program just to be an average team. We want to be one of the best teams in the country and we want to be in the NCAA Tournament every year,’” Daccord said. “To be on the first team...When you look at the big picture, to be the first team to ever play in the tournament from Arizona State, it’s truly incredible.”