"Be the tradition."
That was the slogan ASU hockey head coach Greg Powers had for his first full year recruiting players for the NCAA squad.
The five ASU commits for the class of 2016 offer variety and talent that will help jumpstart the program moving forward.
On Wednesday, the five recruits signed their letters of intent on the November signing session.
"All five kids we're really excited about," Powers said. "They all make us better, they all should have a really good chance to contribute immediately here next year, and I know they're all excited to be a part of this, so we're excited to have them.
"They all had high-level options and we're looking for leaders and trailblazers, and kids that want to kind of blaze that trail, and that's what we have. It's just being a part of something new and establishing a culture and tradition. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity for kids."
Perhaps the biggest talent is goaltender Joey Daccord, who was selected in the seventh round with the 199th overall pick of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft by the Ottawa Senators. He played at the Cushing Academy in Massachusetts, where he posted a .933 save percentage. After that, he played 11 games with the Boston Jr. Bruins and posted a 1.14 goals against average.
"Joey's a stud," Powers said. "He's finding his legs in the USHL, he had a great weekend last weekend with two wins, and he's going to be special. That's why he was drafted."
Brett Gruber is one of the 2016 Sun Devil recruiting class' three forwards. Gruber started his junior hockey career with the Victoria Grizzlies of the BCHL. In his first year, he tallied 35 goals and 32 assists for 67 points en route to being a finalist for BCHL rookie of the year.
Powers said Gruber committed in late December 2014, making him the program's first commit.
"He's literally scored everywhere," he said "He was a force in the BCHL last year and now he's scoring again in the USHL, so he's a kid that will be a very welcomed addition with his ability to put the puck in the net."
The other two forwards are Georgy Gorodetsky and Jakob Romo. Gorodetsky is ASU's first recruit not born in North America, which also dates back to the school's final ACHA years before the jump.
The forward, who is from Russia, has three goals and seven assists in 14 games with the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL this year.
Romo is able to play top-6 minutes as well as contribute with a defensive role on the energy lines.
The lone defenseman is Jacob Wilson, who plays primarily on the right side and has six points in 11 games for the Sioux City Musketeers of the USHL this season.
As the program's first full NCAA recruiting class, all five are expected to have the opportunity to contribute immediately.
Reach the reporter at Justin.Toscano@asu.edu or follow @justintoscano3 on Twitter
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