Ottawa — Joey Daccord is one of six goaltenders currently under contract to the Ottawa Senators. The 2015 seventh-round draft pick just back-stopped 14th-ranked Arizona State to its first NCAA regional playoff berth in only its third season of a full Division I schedule.

A Boston area resident, Daccord finished second in the NCAA with seven shutouts, posted a 2.35 goals-against average while ranking among the league leaders in save percentage (.926). After signing a pro contract in April, the 22-year-old made his debut in a 5-2 loss to Buffalo on April 4.

Joey Daccord is making his NHL debut in net tonight for the Ottawa Senators. The 22-year-old goalie is the first @SunDevilHockey player in history to play in an NHL game when the @Senators take on the Buffalo Sabres at 7 p.m. ET. pic.twitter.com/UAki2nOkFk — Ethan Schmidt (@TheEthanSchmidt) April 4, 2019

Sporting News discussed an array of topics with Daccord during the Senators development camp this past week including the emergence of ASU’s hockey program, Ottawa's crowded crease and expectations for next season.

(Editor’s note: The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.)

Sporting News: Can you explain what the first few days of your fifth development camp have been like?

Joey Daccord: I’m a super veteran of development camps. It’s good. It’s always good to come back. I’ve always liked this week. For me, it’s kind of a gauge to see where I’m at every summer in terms of my off-season training. You get treated like you’re in the NHL for a week, so I don’t know who doesn’t like that.

SN: It was a bit of a whirlwind for you last season, going from ASU to signing a pro contract. Can you talk about the hockey program at ASU as you were there from the ground up?

JD: They had a season of transition before I was there, where they played only 12 Division I games, a few Division III games and they played half a season of club games. I was there from the first day when it was full-on Division I [matchups]. It’s so awesome to see the growth of the program. To be a part of that is truly special to me. It’s something I’m proud to be a part of.

I’m sure it’s going to take off. There are a lot of guys committed there and I think they’re going to attract top-end talent. As people saw, we were really good this year, and they’re going to get even better.

Joey Daccord rookie hot lap.

Welcome to the NHL. pic.twitter.com/ngObhKtF67 — Dean Brown (@PxPOttawa) April 4, 2019

SN: You were so close to reaching the Frozen Four last season. Can you comment on your run to the playoffs?

JD: We had a really good team. One of the hard parts for us was; before we played in our tournament game we had a long layoff — almost a month without a game. We didn’t really find our legs until we scored [against Quinnipiac]. And we only scored with seven minutes left. That made it 2-1 [for Quinnipiac].

We had a few chances. We hit a crossbar, and some chances to tie, but we couldn’t get it going. If we had been able to score a little earlier, we had a breakaway on the first shift and we didn’t score. Maybe we score then, and it’s a different game? It’s one of those things. It’s just hockey.

SN: You were in Arizona for three years. How did you view the growth of the sport in the area?

JD: From beginning to end, it wasn’t just us. I know the Coyotes were a big factor too, and they’re still growing. I think hockey is more prominent there than people think. I know that outside the Valley [Phoenix area], they don’t know how big it is, but it’s really cool to see something that I’ve been a part of, part of that growth.

My first year in school, some people didn’t even know we had a hockey team. By the end of my time there, we were one of the best teams on campus. We pushed to make the NCAA tournament, ultimately making it.

SN: Can you describe the moment when you signed a contract with the Senators?

JD: It was awesome. It was something I looked forward to my entire life. Everyone wants to sign a NHL contract. It was really special for myself and my family, as well as for Arizona and Arizona State. It was a whirlwind experience. I was only here [in Ottawa] for a week to live the NHL lifestyle, to get into a game too, was incredible. I’m just really happy and thankful to the Senators organization to have the confidence in me, to throw me out there.

Couple nice stops by Joey Daccord pic.twitter.com/LyvU4Ttlrp — Sens Prospects (@SensProspects) April 4, 2019

SN: Are you going into next season with any expectations? Do you see yourself in Belleville [AHL] or Brampton [ECHL]?

JD: At the end of the day, everyone wants to be in the NHL. I’m going to do whatever I can to make the team. That’s everyone’s goal coming into camp. But as for expectations, you don’t fully know what to expect. It’ll be first full season of NHL hockey. I’ve never been to an NHL training camp before or rookie camp. For me, I’m just going to try to enjoy the process and just have fun with it; be myself. I’m a good goalie and I’m going to have success.

Wherever I end, I’m just going to try to help whatever team I’m on win. I’m looking forward to my first season of pro hockey.

SN: With six goalies under contract, do you relish the competition?

JD: They’re all really good goalies. The thing for me, and talked about this with [Senators’ goalie coach] Pierre Groulx as well, it’s the NHL. Everywhere you go, there are going to be really good goalies there as well. You just have to beat other players out and you’re going to have to perform better than them.

Whether it’s our team or any one of the 30 other teams, if you’re a young goalie prospect, you’re going to have to take someone’s job. You have to out-perform them.