(Photo: Gabrielle Mercer/WCSN)
After its move to the NCAA, the allure of playing a cold-weathered game in a warm weather environment is already paying dividends for Arizona State.
The Sun Devils announced that they have signed five players to a National Letter of Intent. All of the players will join the team as freshmen next season.
“We are really excited about all five kids,” head coach Greg Powers said. “They all make us better, they all should have a good chance to contribute immediately when they get here next year. I know they are really excited to be a part of this.”
Three forwards, one defenseman and one goalie are part of the recruiting class, with all five coming from the USHL.
The goalie, Joey Daccord, was a seventh round pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. He will join Wade Murphy as the only two Sun Devil players to have been selected in the draft. Daccord currently plays for the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL.
He is described as a battlefly style goalie, which is a combination of the butterfly and hybrid styles.
“Joey is a stud,” Powers said. “He is finding his legs in the USHL. He had a great past weekend in the USHL, winning two games. He is going to be special, that is why he was drafted.”
Jacob Wilson, the lone defenseman, is the youngest player among the five recruits. He is described as a two-way player who has a goal and five assists so far this season in the USHL.
Incoming forward Brett Gruber was the second overall pick of the USHL draft this year after scoring 67 points in 57 games in the BCHL. He currently has eight points in 12 games as a member of the Green Bay Gamblers in the USHL.
“Grubs is really good,” Powers said. “He was our first commitment as a program, during late December of last year. He has scored everywhere and was a force in the BCHL last year.”
Georgy Gorodetsky will make history as the first player for Sun Devil hockey to ever be born outside of North America. Originally from Russia, Gorodetsky attended Shattuck St. Mary’s, which has produced hockey stars such as Sidney Crosby and Jonathan Toews.
He has averaged better than 1.50 points per game in every level that he has played at in his career. If his USHL stats are any reflection, expect him to make a big impact right away offensively for the Sun Devils. He currently has ten goals in fourteen games this season.
The final recruit for Coach Powers is Jakob Romo, who is another forward. He is an extremely versatile player, being able to score goals and dish out assists while also playing top notch defense on the other side of the ice.
You can contact Jacob Janower via e-mail or on Twitter @JanowerJacob
