Looking at Seattle Kraken goaltenders to celebrate National goalie week

By Jayd Serdy, edited by Charles Hamaker

Seattle, WA - In honor of national goalie week, we’re highlighting two of the Seattle Kraken goalies and a bit of history regarding Seattle’s goalies. The Kraken currently have six goaltenders within the organization currently but the two most prominent are Joey Daccord and Philipp Grubauer at the NHL level, the other four goalies are Ales Stezka, Victor Ostman, Niklas Kokko, and Kim Saarinen.

The Seattle Kraken goaltender group during the teams development camp this past May, at the Kraken Community Iceplex. (Photos by Rio Giancarlo)

Joey Daccord is a 28 year-old, 6’ 2” netminder from North Andover, Massachusetts. He was drafted 199th overall by the Ottawa Senators in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft and played three season of NCAA hockey with the Arizona State Sun Devils starting in 2016. After being drafted, Daccord signed an Entry Level Contract with the Senators in 2019 and primarily played with their AHL and ECHL affiliates. He was selected by the Kraken in the 2021 expansion draft and was once again playing most of his time in the AHL, playing well with the Charlotte Checkers when the Kraken shared the AHL team with the Florida Panthers before Seattle’s affiliate Coachella Valley Firebirds were ready to go. Daccord helped lead the Coachella Valley Firebirds to the Calder Cup Finals during the 2022-23 season where they lost in game seven against the Hershey Bears in crushing fashion, on an overtime goal.

Daccord became a full-time NHL player during the 2023-24 season and took on a big role when Philipp Grubauer was out with an injury, having an incredible run towards the end of December into January. Joey played arguably the biggest role in leading the Kraken to a historical Winter Classic shutout on New Years Day at T-Mobile Park against the Las Vegas Golden Knights. He finished his first full NHL season with a 2.46 goals against average, a .916 save percentage, 116 goals against and 1,258 saves.

Seattle Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord during the teams March 26th, 2024 win over the Anaheim Ducks at Climate Pledge Arena. (Photos by Rio Giancarlo)

Since the end of the season, Daccord has taken on the role as an ambassador for NHL Sense Arena, a virtual reality program designed to help hockey players improve their game. Joey also helped out at the “Stop It Goaltending GCG” Prospect event. “Stop It Goaltending” is a 25 year-old company run by Joey’s father and offers lessons and summer programs in Massachusetts. In addition to those two projects, Joey has a program through ASU called Dac’s House and the Joey Daccord Community Impact Fund, where their goal is to create meaningful programing to help connect families and their youth to Sun Devil Hockey.

Philipp Grubauer is a 32 year-old, 6’ 2” goaltender from Rosenheim, Germany. He was drafted 112th overall by the Washington Capitals in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. In 2015, he became the first German goaltender to start and win a Stanley Cup Playoff game but didn’t take home the Stanley Cup until 2018 with the Capitals. Grubauer spent three years with the Colorado Avalanche, being traded there in 2018, before signing with the Kraken in the offseason ahead of the 2021-22 season. He was the first Kraken goaltender to record a shutout in 2022 and played an integral part during the 2022-23 playoff run, shouldering a heavy load in an upset series win over the Avalanche and as Seattle nearly upset the Dallas Stars in seven games.

Grubauer came in as the primary starter for the Kraken during the 2023-24 season, but suffered a lower-body injury on December 9th, 2023, which is where Joey Daccord really stepped onto the scene, alongside Chris Driedger. That tandem managed to keep a nine-game win streak while Grubauer dealt with the injury. Grubauer returned from his injury in late January and ended the season with 2.85 goals against average, a .899 save percentage, 95 goals against, and 846 saves.

Seattle Kraken goaltender Philipp Grubauer during the teams March 28th, 2024 win over the Anaheim Ducks at Climate Pledge Arena. (Photos by Rio Giancarlo)

In addition to playing with the Kraken, Grubauer is a goalie for Team Germany during the IIHF World Championships, and helped secure Germany’s place in the 2018 Olympics.

During Philipp’s free time throughout the year, he volunteers at Save a Forgotten Equine (SAFE) in Redmond, Washington. Grubauer has always been a big animal person and grew up around dairy farmers. “The German Gentleman” first started riding horses at a friends ranch while he played for the Avalanche, stating that the time with the horses helps his mental balance both on and off the ice. Grubauer assists with fundraising efforts at SAFE, along with serving as co-chair of the annual Heart of the Horse event.

Grubauer has said that once he retires from hockey, he wants to run a ranch where he can continue to help rescue and train horses of his own.

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Check out Circling Seattle Sports’ previous articles on the Seattle Kraken here.

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