Can Joey Daccord be Canada’s savior in goal?

Ryan S. Clark, NHL reporterDec 3, 2024, 07:15 AM ET

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SEATTLE — Whether it’s at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February, or another future international tournament, there’s a possibility that Hockey Canada could call upon Seattle Kraken goalie Joey Daccord.

Daccord, who is 10-6-1 with a 2.56 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage, has been floated as an option for Canada ahead of the 4 Nations event. The idea that Daccord could play for Canada is a topic that has raised questions about his eligibility.

It’s also not the first time another nation has inquired about the Massachusetts native’s international status.

The 28-year-old, who was born and grew up in Greater Boston, is an American citizen who also holds Canadian and Swiss citizenship. His parents were born outside of the United States, with his father growing up in Canada and his mother growing up in Switzerland. Daccord told ESPN in early November that he has official documentation from all three nations.

So which team can he represent at the 4 Nations Face-Off — and the 2026 Olympics? Well, it’s a little complicated.

THE INTERNATIONAL ICE HOCKEY FEDERATION, the sport’s international governing body, confirmed to ESPN in an email in late November that the 28-year-old would be eligible to play for Canada if he chooses.

“If Daccord meets the eligibility requirements for a country of which he has citizenship, and has not previously represented a different country, then he would be eligible to choose,” the IIHF wrote in its email to ESPN. “That is applicable to all players with dual citizenship.”

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IIHF rules state players with more than two legal citizenships seeking to participate either in an IIHF men’s championships or a men’s Olympic competition must prove they have played in a league competition for more than 16 consecutive months — two hockey seasons — after their 10th birthday for the nation in which they seek eligibility.

Those guidelines also declare that if a men’s player is transferring their citizenship that they must have that approved by the IIHF at least 16 months or 480 days prior to their proposed participation.

Daccord left Arizona State after his junior season and signed a professional contract with the Ottawa Senators. He lived in Canada for two seasons, spending the 2019-20 season with the Sens’ AHL and ECHL affiliates, the Belleville Senators and Brampton Beast, which are both in Canada. He also played the 2020-21 season with Belleville and Ottawa.

He has never represented the U.S. in any capacity at an IIHF-sanctioned event in his career. That means he’s currently eligible to be an option for either nation until he plays a game for one of them at what is considered to be an official IIHF event.

Daccord spent two seasons playing in Canada, splitting time between the Senators and their affiliates in the AHL and ECHL. David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told ESPN in an email Monday that the NHL and the NHL Players Association, as the 4 Nations Face-Off’s organizers, could consider any player’s potential eligibility subject to their “unique facts and circumstances.” Daly said that the league wasn’t aware of Daccord’s exact circumstances because “there has not, to this point, been a need to investigate the reason,” while adding they would “look at all the facts and make an appropriate decision” if that were to change.

Daly was asked if the NHL has any eligibility rules for the 4 Nations Face-Off or if the league was going to use IIHF guidelines. Daly said while the NHL wouldn’t consider itself bound by the IIHF rules, he did say, “I imagine we would focus on a lot of the same factors that the IIHF finds relevant.”

“Nobody has asked me about anything. Nobody has talked to me about anything,” Daccord said in November when asked by ESPN if he’s heard from Hockey Canada. “Switzerland has looked into it, but as far as I know, they were told no because I’ve never played or lived over there.”

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Since the upcoming 4 Nations Faceoff is an NHL/NHLPA event that is not sanctioned by the IIHF, Daccord could hypothetically play for the U.S. or Canada and still have the freedom to change his mind ahead of playing in one of those IIHF events.

Daccord told ESPN that the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation, the governing body for the Swiss National Team, has been in conversations with him since he was 17. In the past, Daccord has openly talked about his Swiss heritage as he has the Swiss flag along with the flags of Canada and the U.S. on the backplate of his mask.

The Swiss Federation reached out to him a little more than a year ago to explore the possibility of Daccord playing for them in the 2026 Olympics if he was cleared by the IIHF. Daccord said that he told Switzerland he was open to the idea, but would not commit.

If Daccord had been eligible and agreed to represent Switzerland, he would have joined a nation that’s currently fifth in the IIHF rankings, and has NHL players such as Nico Hischier, Kevin Fiala, Roman Josi, Timo Meier and Nino Niederreiter likely leading the team in 2026.

Would Daccord take the same approach if Hockey Canada reached out about him playing for them?

“I’m not sure. It’s something I’d really have to think about,” Daccord said. “I don’t really know.”

CANADA IS ENTERING the 4 Nations Face-off as the favorite to win the tournament. Led by superstars such as Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, it’s a roster that has some of the game’s strongest options at defense and forward. But the state of Canada’s goaltending has come under question — especially when compared to other nations.

The goaltenders that Canada could use at the 4 Nations Face-Off include Jordan Binnington, Adin Hill, Darcy Kuemper, Sam Montembeault, Stuart Skinner, Cam Talbot and Logan Thompson. Binnington, Hill, Kuemper, Montembault, Talbot and Thompson have all represented Canada at the IIHF world championships. Montembeault and Talbot each won more than six games in the respective years they helped Canada capture gold.

By comparison, the U.S. has reigning Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck (who also won in 2020) as part of a U.S. goaltending group that could include Thatcher Demko, Jake Oettinger or Jeremy Swayman. Demko, who is yet to play this season while recovering from an injury, is a two-time All-Star that was the Vezina runner-up last season, whereas Oettinger is on pace for his fourth straight 30-win season.

Finland is expected to be led by Juuse Saros, a Vezina finalist in 2022, and could also take Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Kevin Lankinen, among others. Sweden could take the trio of Filip Gustavsson, Jacob Markstrom and Linus Ullmark, with the latter winning the Vezina in 2023. Markstrom was also a finalist in 2022.

Connor Hellebuyck won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goaltender for 2023-24, and will be a key player for the U.S. team at the 4 Nations Face-Off and 2026 Olympics. Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

As for Daccord, his rise has been gradual. A seventh-round pick in 2015, Daccord spent three years with the Senators organization until he was selected in 2020 by the Kraken in the expansion draft. He spent the majority of his first two seasons in the Kraken’s organization playing for their AHL affiliate, and then became a full-time NHL player in the 2023-24 season.