Kraken’s Joey Daccord Named to Team USA Men’s Olympic Orientation Camp

On Tuesday, Aug. 19, USA Hockey announced the 44 players who received an invitation to Olympic Orientation Camp. On that list is a familiar face to Seattle Kraken fans, goaltender Joey Daccord. He joins three other goaltenders who also received an invitation: Jeremy Swagman, Jake Oettinger, and Connor Hellebuyck.

The orientation camp will take place next week on Aug. 26 and 27 in Plymouth, Michigan. The camp will not have any on-ice activity but will instead serve as a team-building event.

Daccord Continues to Establish Himself

Daccord made a name for himself on Jan 1, 2024, when the Seattle Kraken hosted the Vegas Golden Knights for the two teams’ first-ever appearances in the Winter Classic. At the time, Philipp Grubauer was injured, so Daccord was the likely goaltender for the game. He started and made history, becoming the first goaltender in NHL history to record a shutout in the Winter Classic.

Since that moment, he has taken over the role as the starting goaltender for Seattle. He finished out the 2023-24 season playing in 27 more games. He earned a record of 10-13-3. Before the 2024-25 season began, Seattle signed him to a five-year contract with an average annual value (AAV) of $5 million. He slotted right back into his role as starting goaltender in 2024-25 and played a majority of the season. He played a total of 57 games and earned a record of 27-23-5.

He is still a younger goalie, having only played two full seasons in the NHL. He has plenty of time to improve his performance, especially since his five-year contract is about to begin in the 2025-26 season. He will play with the Kraken through to the 2029-30 season.

Daccord Has Represented the U.S. Before

Earlier this offseason, Daccord had the opportunity to represent the United States at the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championship. He played three games and had a record of 2-1-0. He recorded a goals-against average (GAA) of 2.00 and a save percentage (SV%) of .919%.

Daccord and Swayman were the goalie tandem that helped the U.S. bring home the gold for the first time in 92 years. The pair has shown they can find success for the U.S.; Daccord should have the opportunity to prove himself for his country again at the Olympic level.