USA Blanks Denmark in 2025 Worlds Opener

Seattle's Matty Beniers (Michigan) scored twice in Team USA's 5-0 win over co-host Denmark yesterday to open the 2025 IIHF Men's World Championship in Herning, Denmark. 

Anaheim's Cutter Gauthier (Boston College) and Boston's Mason Lohrei (Ohio State) each had a goal and an assist, as Utah's Michael Kesselring (Northeastern) set up both of their goals. Seattle's Joey Daccord (Arizona State) stopped all 26 shots he faced for the shutout.

The United States will next take on Hungary on Sunday at 6:20 a.m. ET (NHL Network), also at Jyske Bank Boxen.

ADDENDUM: The U.S blanked Hungary, 6-0, but then lost to Switzerland, 3-0. 

Kraken Win 2024 Winter Classic

Joey Daccord (Arizona State) recorded the first shutout in NHL Winter Classic history on Monday when his Seattle Kraken blanked the visiting Vegas Golden Knights, 3-0, in an outdoor game at T-Mobile Park, home of MLB's Seattle Mariners.

Daccord finished with 35 saves to backstop the Kraken, who got a goal in each period on New Year's Day, including one in the second stanza from defenseman Will Borgen (St. Cloud State). Vegas forward Jack Eichel (Boston University) had five shots on goal for the defending Stanley Cup champion Golden Knights, but couldn't solve fellow Massachusetts native Daccord in front of 47,313 on-lookers.

It was the first Winter Classic appearance for either club, and the 39th outdoor game in NHL history.

Hershey Wins in OT, Claims 12th Calder Cup

The oldest franchise in the American Hockey League edged its newest organization for this year's playoff title, with two former NCAA champions leading the way.

Mike Vecchione (Union) scored off a rebound with 3:41 remaining in overtime, and Hunter Shepard (Minnesota-Duluth) made 45 saves in all tonight as the Hershey Bears won the Calder Cup over the first-year Coachella Valley Firebirds, 3-2, at a sold-out Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Cal.

Hershey claims its record 12th Calder Cup, in its 85th year of operation. After falling behind, 2-0, this evening, the Bears scored twice in the second period to knot matters before becoming the first team in this series to win a game on the road. Hershey won four of the last five games of the series, all by one goal, including three in overtime, after dropping the first two contests.

Shepard, who also backstopped UMD to consecutive NCAA titles in 2018 and 2019, also won this year's Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as the AHL playoff MVP, after fashioning a 14-6 record with a 2.27 goals-against average and three shutouts. Vecchione, who helped Union to a national collegiate title in 2014, is the first player in AHL history to score the Calder Cup-clinching goal in a Game Seven in overtime. Joey Daccord (Arizona State) stopped 35 shots for Coachella Valley, which came within a goal of winning its first Calder Cup in its inaugural season of play.

Other former NCAA players on this year's Bears playoff roster included: Sam Anas (Quinnipiac), Logan Day (Providence/Endicott), Ethen Frank (Western Michigan), Shane Gersich (North Dakota), Mason Morelli (Nebraska-Omaha), Bobby Nardella (Notre Dame), Aaron Ness (Minnesota), Joe Snively (Yale), 

Hershey's victory tonight also concludes the 2022-23 hockey season as a whole.

Bears, Firebirds Tied up in AHL Final

Mike Vecchione (Union) scored two goals, and also helped set up the game-winner by Ethen Frank (Western Michigan) as the Hershey Bears defeated the Coachella Valley Firebirds, 3-2, on Thursday night in Game Four of the 2023 Calder Cup Final at Giant Center in Hershey, Pa. The best-of-seven AHL championship series is now knotted at two games apiece, with the home team having won each of the four previous contests. 

A member of Union's 2014 NCAA championship team, Vecchione scored Hershey's first two goals, the first on a power play to open the game, and the second one breaking a 1-1 tie early in the second period. Frank, who tallied 30 goals during the 2022-23 AHL regular season, then connected late in the middle stanza for the game-winner for Hershey, the primary affiliate of the NHL's Washington Capitals. The Bears are seeking their 12th Calder Cup overall, and first since claiming back-to-back crowns in 2009 and 2010. Hunter Sheppard (Minnesota-Duluth), who won consecutive NCAA titles in 2018 and 2019 with UMD, stopped 21 shots to earn the win in goal for Hershey.

Austin Poganski (North Dakota) scored the first goal for the AHL Western Conference champion Firebirds, who are in their inaugural season, and are the affiliate of the NHL's Seattle Kraken. Joey Daccord (Arizona State) made 25 stops in defeat for Coachella Valley.

Game Five is tonight in Hershey at 8 p.m. ET, while Game Six will be contested at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Ca. on Monday at 10 p.m. ET. Both games will be televised on NHL Network.

ADDENDUM: Hershey took Game Five in overtime, 1-0, while Coachella Valley rallied for a 5-2 victory in Game Six. The deciding Game Seven will be contested on Wednesday, June 21, at 10 p.m. ET at Acrisure Arena, with the winner claiming the Calder Cup.

Former NCAA Players Taken by NHL's Kraken

Several former NCAA players were selected in last night's NHL Expansion Draft to help stock the league's newest club, the Seattle Kraken, who will begin play in October.

One player was chosen by Seattle from each of the 31 other NHL clubs, save for the Vegas Golden Knights, who only began play in 2017. Among the players taken by the Kraken were defensemen Gavin Bayreuther (St. Lawrence), Jamie Oleksiak (Northeastern) and Carson Soucy (Minnesota-Duluth), forwards Mason Appleton (Michigan State), Colin Blackwell (Harvard) and Brandon Tanev (Providence), and goaltender Joey Daccord (Arizona State).

Bayreuther, 27, skated for St. Lawrence from 2013 to 2017, where he recorded 35 goals and 76 points for 111 points over four seasons. He has three goals and three assists for six points in 28 NHL regular-season games with Dallas and Columbus.

Oleksiak, 28, played at Northeastern during the 2010-11 season, where he put up four goals and nine assists for 13 points with the Huskies before turning pro. He has registered 24-48—72 points in 369 NHL appearances with Dallas and Pittsburgh. and also helped Dallas to the 2020 Stanley Cup Final.

Soucy, 26, played four years at UMD, where he collected 12-35—47 points in 147 NCAA contests, and also captained the Bulldogs to a national championship game berth as a senior in 2017.  In 108 career NHL games, he has put up 8-23—31 points, all with Minnesota.

Appleton, 25, played at Michigan State from 2015 to 2017, scoring 17 goals and adding 36 assists for 53 points over 72  games with the Spartans. He has 20-23—43 points in 138 NHL outings, all with Winnipeg.

Blackwell, 28, skated for Harvard from 2011 to 2015, collecting 19-39--58 points in 94 games for the Crimson. He has 15-17—32 points in 80 NHL appearances with Nashville and the New York Rangers.

Tanev, 29, a member of Providence's 2015 NCAA title team, tallied 35-42—77 points in 149 games with the Friars from 2012 to 2016. In 295 NHL contests with Winnipeg and Pittsburgh to date, he has scored 42 goals to go with 50 assists for 92 points.

Daccord, 24, who backstopped ASU to its first-ever NCAA tournament berth in 2019, posted a career record of 32-40-7 with 3.07 goals-against average and eight shutouts in three seasons with the Sun Devils, including a 21-13-1 mark and seven shutouts in his third and final campaign. He has gone 1-4-1 with a 3.50 GAA in nine NHL appearances, all with Ottawa.

Daccord, Johnson Done for Current NHL Campaign

A pair of former NCAA stars are done for the 2020-21 NHL season.

Ottawa goaltender Joey Daccord (Arizona State) suffered a lower-body injury in the Senators' 3-2 loss to Vancouver on St. Patrick's Day, while New York Rangers defenseman Jack Johnson (Michigan) underwent season-ending core-muscle surgery two days later.

Daccord made his NHL debut in April 2019, shortly after backstopping independent Arizona State to its first-ever NCAA tournament berth. He earned his first NHL victory on March 14 with 33 saves in a 4-3 win over Toronto, and finished 1-3-1 this season with a 3.27 goals-against average in six starts. 

In three seasons at ASU, Daccord went 32-40-7 with a 3.07 GAA and eight shutouts. As a junior for the Sun Devils in 2018-19, he finished 21-13-1 with seven shutouts before turning pro with Ottawa, who drafted him 199th overall in 2015 out of Cushing Academy in his native Massachusetts.

Longtime pro blueliner Johnson, from Indianapolis, has notched 71 goals and 232 assists for 303 points to go with 529 penalty minutes in 950 career NHL regular-season outings with Los Angeles, Columbus, Pittsburgh and the Rangers since turning pro in 2007. He also has five goals and 21 points in 30 career Stanley Cup playoff contests.

Originally drafted third overall by Carolina in 2005, Johnson skated for two seasons at Michigan, notching 26-45—71 points and 236 PIM in 74 games. He also earned CCHA All-Rookie Team accolades as a freshman, and First Team All-America status as a sophomore, while also helping the Wolverines to a pair of NCAA tournament berths before signing with Los Angeles.

Arizona State Over .500 After Six Games

Don't look now, but Arizona State is 4-2-0 to begin the 2018-19 NCAA campaign.

The lone men's hockey Division I independent, the Sun Devils started the season with a home sweep of Alaska in which ASU didn't allow a goal. ASU then dropped two close contests to 2018 Frozen Four participant Ohio State (2-3, 1-3), and then swept host Alabama-Huntsville this past weekend by 2-1 and 5-1 scores.

Sophomore forward and Phoenix, Ariz. native Johnny Walker currently leads the Sun Devils with four goals and four assists for eight points through ASU's first six games, which places him among the top 10 players in national scoring. Junior goaltender and Boston native Joey Daccord has played every minute in net so far for ASU, and has gone 4-2-0 with a 1.18 goals-against average and .956 save percentage, while allowing just seven goals in all. He also leads the nation with 357 minutes played to date.

ASU's penalty kill also ranks among the top 10 nationally. The Sun Devils have negated 30-of-32 opposing power plays, and are tied with Sacred Heart for third overall in Division I at 93.7 percent.

Next on tap for the Sun Devils will be the visiting Omaha Mavericks, this Friday and Saturday at Oceanside Ice Arena in Tempe, Ariz. ASU will then visit Omaha in November. Omaha defeated
ASU, 5-1, a year ago in Nebraska before the two schools skated to a 4-4 tie the next night.

ADDENDUM: ASU upped its record to 6-2-0 with a two-step sweep of Omaha, 6-3 and 7-2.