Is there a better way to start your year than having a stadium of 47,000 people chanting your name?
Joey Daccord began 2024 with a bang. On New Year’s Day, the Seattle Kraken goaltender shut out the defending Stanley Cup champions in one of the most memorable Winter Classic matchups in recent years.
With around two minutes left in the outdoor game at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, Daccord shut the door on Vegas Golden Knights star Jack Eichel, keeping his shutout bid alive with a remarkable save that he made look effortless.
The incredible performance earned Daccord the inaugural TNT Cocoa Cup, awarded to the Winter Classic MVP.
Little did Daccord know that this was the start of what could be a career-defining year.
Daccord is off to an excellent start to his 2024-25 campaign. He has quickly transitioned from a breakout candidate to a full-on Vezina Trophy contender. According to moneypuck.com, he has put up an impressive 9.2 goals saved above expected so far this season. That’s good for seventh in the NHL, ahead of elite netminders, such as Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy and the Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin.
Daccord’s play has been so stellar that Team Canada considered the American-born 28-year-old as an option between the pipes for the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Daccord was born and raised in Massachusetts and is by all accounts a big Boston guy. He has spoken in interviews about his love of Tom Brady and the NFL’s New England Patriots, even sharing Brady’s lucky 199th spot in the draft. His father, however, is originally from Montreal. Because of this, Daccord holds Canadian citizenship.
With seemingly fewer elite goaltending options than in previous years, reports have stated that Team Canada had an interest in recruiting Daccord to man the pipes for the 4 Nations Face-Off in February.
Daccord did not make the team’s first roster because he doesn’t have a Canadian passport yet. However, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported there is still a chance he could make the team in February if another netminder can’t make it. Even if it doesn’t work out, his consideration alone is a testament to the massive strides he’s made this year.
This rapid ascension is a bit of a surprise, but Daccord is no stranger to shocking the hockey world.
Daccord was drafted 199th overall in the seventh round of the 2015 NHL draft by the Ottawa Senators. He elected to go to Arizona State University after being drafted, a decision that would land him on the radar of hockey fans.
In the 2018-19 NCAA season, Daccord dominated in the desert. His Sun Devils had the best year in the program’s history, qualifying for the regional semifinals for the first time ever. This, combined with stellar stats, earned Daccord a Hobey Baker Award nomination, the cherry on top of an outstanding college career.
Daccord made his NHL debut with the Senators late in the 2018-19 season but played eight games in the shortened 2020-21 campaign. With the Sens’ goaltending group ravaged by injuries, Daccord got his chance to show what he could do in the NHL.
He didn’t establish himself with the Senators, though.
Seattle took Daccord in the expansion draft. That off-season, the Kraken made hefty commitments to Vezina Trophy finalist Phillip Grubauer and solid backup Chris Driedger. It looked like Daccord’s role would be confined to being a third-string goalie.
As we now know, that wouldn’t be the case.
Injuries led to Daccord becoming the team’s de facto starter in the 2023-24 season. He made the most of this opportunity, showcasing to the Kraken what he could do in net. He finished the year with a .916 save percentage and a 2.46 goals-against average.
In the opening week of the 2024-25 season, the Kraken extended Daccord with a five-year, $25-million deal. His excellent play had paid off. And yet, despite already cashing in, his play has reached another level this season, a level that has made him a household name among hockey fans. He’s 12-6-2 with a 2.42 goals-against average and .916 save percentage.
The calendar year 2024 has seen Daccord live out his dream. We have seen him break out, earn a big contract and gain consideration as a possible savior for the world’s most hockey-crazed country.
And it all began in front of 47,000 people at the Winter Classic.
“I’m just so grateful for the opportunity to be here playing in the NHL,” said Daccord to the TNT panel following his big New Year’s game. “This is the most amazing special thing you could ever dream of.
“When I was a kid all I wanted was to play in the NHL.”
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Related: 4 Nations Face-Off: One All-Snub Team Canada Isn’t Enough. We Made Two.
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