Up in the rafters at Mullett Arena sits one retired jersey.
35, it reads. The lone number never to be worn again for ASU's hockey team.
However, it's the name above that's more noteworthy: Daccord.
A name previously seen in Tempe is now seen all around the NHL, as Joey Daccord is a starter for the Seattle Kraken. Daccord even wears a pitchfork logo on his helmet when he plays his professional games.
While having a starting-level player in the NHL has an impact on ASU's hockey program, it's his position that leaves a legacy and a hole to be filled ever since his graduation.
Daccord is a goaltender.
While he hasn't played for the Sun Devils since 2019, that position is still an important piece of ASU's roster in the post-Daccord era.
This season, ASU has seen two players between the pipes: senior Connor Hasley and freshman Samuel Urban.
This is something ASU is accustomed to.
It was only last season that a goalie tandem of Luke Pavicich and Gibson Homer split starts in net. The season saw ASU finish No. 16 in the country and second in the NCHC.
READ MORE: ASU hockey winning more games with strong goalie tandem
Before the new season opened, the expectation was that Hasley, the senior who transferred from Bentley and who racked up awards backstopping the Falcons to an NCAA tournament appearance, would be the primary option between the pipes.
However, Urban has impressed at every appearance possible. The Slovakian freshman leads the NCHC in saves per game with 33.2 in his five games played.
As the season opened, Hasley was the choice to start the first series, where he made 82 saves across two games. However, away from those 82 saves, Hasley let in eight goals during the two losses. This opened the door for Urban to get his first start in college hockey during game one of the Ice Breaker Tournament about a week later.
Urban then recorded 36 saves in a win to send ASU to the championship game.
After recording a win in his first college start, Urban gave credit to his relationship with Hasley in preparing him for the game.
"I learn a lot, especially in the games ... so I'm trying to learn every single day," Urban said. "We're always talking about (how) goalies are weirdos, so (he) just looked and told me good luck."
The next night, Hasley was the choice to start in net. ASU won that game as well, taking the Ice Breaker Tournament in a game that saw him make 34 saves.
READ MORE: Cruz Lucius hat trick secures Ice Breaker Tournament win
After winning his first game for ASU, Hasley was overjoyed to pick up the victory.
"I'm ecstatic," Hasley said. "I'm so happy to get that first one under my belt, and I think with the group we have, we have a lot more in us. So, can't wait to keep it going."
While ASU struggled in the next series, head coach Greg Powers decided to split starts between the two goaltenders again.
In a series against Augustana, Hasley got the nod for the first game while Urban started the second. Despite losing two games to Augustana, ASU looked ahead to its next series against Miami of Ohio.
In that series, Hasley started two consecutive games for the first time since the opening series and made 19 saves, only letting in one goal to win the first, but the Sun Devils dropped the second, with Hasley letting in 4.
This led to a series against Colorado College in which Urban started both games and posted a .929 save percentage, making 66 saves. This included important saves in game one during overtime and the shootout, helping the Sun Devils get a shootout win before dropping game two against the Tigers.
This put Powers in a position with a choice to make going into the series at No. 6 North Dakota on Nov. 14 and 15.
Despite Hasley kicking off the year as the starter, Powers knew what he had in Urban. He pointed to his performance against Colorado College as evidence for the position he's in.
"Really proud of that kid," Powers said. "He's got a very bright future. I think people saw tonight why we've been so excited about him for a couple years."
As the series in Grand Forks began, Powers made his choice.
Urban would start the first.
Hasley would start the second.
In that series, Urban gave up five goals in a loss during the first game, but it was Hasley's performance in the second game that made waves.
While upsetting the No. 6 Fighting Hawks, Hasley made 39 saves to bring home the victory.
With the rest of the season ahead of him, Powers has a choice to make on how to handle his goalies, but with two strong candidates, the position itself is the least of his worries.
"When you have a goalie that's kicking and really competing and has some swagger, it starts to filter out to the rest of the team, and that's what we’re hoping happens," Powers said via Sun Devil Athletics.
Edited by Alan Deutschendorf, Henry Smardo and Pippa Fung.
Reach the reporter at aswift10@asu.edu and follow @alexswiftsports on X.
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