As Arizona State heads into its 12th season of NCAA Division 1 hockey, the Sun Devils can look up to the pros and see an already impressive crop of alumni performing at the highest level.
The program has produced four players who have reached the NHL, and plenty more in the American Hockey League. With their professional seasons just starting, some are already off to a hot start.
Joey Daccord was a trailblazer once already for Arizona State. He tended the goal for the Sun Devils' first full season in division 1, led them to their first NCAA tournament appearance, held countless records, and was the program's first-ever jersey number retiree last season. Now, playing for the Seattle Kraken, he sets the pace for future Sun Devils to follow, as the most successful NHLer to date.
Oct 1, 2026; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Seattle Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord (35) guards his net against the Calgary Flames during the second period at Scotiabank Saddledome. / Sergei Belski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Through two starts for the newest NHL franchise, Daccord is 2-0, which ties him for the league lead in wins. He also boasts an astounding .962 save percentage and 1.00 goals-against average, which are second and first in the league, respectively, among goaltenders with multiple starts. That puts him in the same breath as former Vezina winners like Igor Shesterkin and Andrei Vasilevskiy.
Daccord is in the second year of a five-year, $25 million contract extension he signed before the 2025-26 season. That has him outside the top 20 earners at his position, according to Front Office Sports, as a diamond-in- the-rough find for the Kraken, who are still finding their footing as they begin their sixth season in the NHL.
While all these numbers would be by far career bests for Daccord, it's not totally out of the blue to see performances like this from the 30-year-old goaltender. Since establishing himself as a full-time NHL goalie in 2023, Daccord has recorded a .906 save percentage and a 2.75 GAA. Turning in those numbers while starting 154 contests puts him in an impressive category of NHL goalies over that span, comparable to big names like Ilya Sorokin or Jake Oettinger.
The only other active NHL player to graduate from Arizona State is Josh Doan, son of Arizona Coyotes legend Shane Doan. Josh, beginning his NHL journey with the same club his father did in 2023-24, has since moved on to the Buffalo Sabres and flourished a season ago.
May 6, 2026; Buffalo, New York, USA; Buffalo Sabres right wing Josh Doan (91) celebrates his goal with teammates during the first period against the Montral Canadiens in game one of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
In his first season in Buffalo, Doan featured in all 82 games, tallying career marks in nearly every category, including goals (25), assists (27), points (52) and time on ice ( 15:52 per game). His performance earned him a large payday mid-season, when he signed a seven-year, $48 million contract extension.
While Doan is still searching for his first point in the 2026-27 campaign, he has been getting substantial ice time for the Sabres again this year. Playing on the team's top line with Joshua Norris and United States Olympian Tage Thompson, Doan has seen 37:12 of ice time through two games and is a +1 with 4 shots on goal. With a large financial commitment and a top-line opportunity on the defending Atlantic Division champions, Doan will have every opportunity to push Daccord for the title of best pro Sun Devil this season.
Despite just a few players having reached the pinnacle, there are plenty of Sun Devils fighting their way up the ranks in the primary affiliate league of the NHL.
Artem Schlaine, who tallied 38 points in 31 games in 2024-25 for the Sun Devils, has collected an assist in each of his first two games this season for the Texas Stars (an affiliate of the NHL Dallas Stars). He's already building well off of a 19-goal, 19-assist season last year in 67 games for the Texas Stars as well.
Robert Mastrosimone has carved out a spot with the Charlotte Checkers, signing a one way deal with the Florida Panthers affliate following a 32 point season across 49 games in 2025-26. He's played the first two games of the season but hasn't recorded a point yet.
Both Ty Murchison and Noah Powell are back for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (an affiliate of the NHL Philadelphia Flyers) after successful first seasons, are looking to build on their season of six and four points, respectively.
ASU Sun Devils goalie TJ Semptimphelter (35) protects the net against the Augustana Vikings at Mullett Arena in Tempe on Jan. 19, 2024. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
After starting just two games for the Milwaukee Admirals (an affiliate of the NHL's Nashville Predators) and spending most of the year in the ECHL, TJ Semptimphelter is now a full-time member of the "Ads" and is awaiting his first start of the season. He played two very successful seasons with the Sun Devils prior to transferring to North Dakota for his final season in the NCAA.
To keep tabs on all the Sun Devils in the NHL, Daccord is expected to get his next start on Tuesday, October 6th, against the Vegas Golden Knights, while Josh Doan and the Sabres battle the Minnesota Wild on October 6th.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/arizonastate as Former Arizona State Hockey Players Making Noise In NHL's First Week .
