Sun Devil hockey alums win first gold medal for Team USA in 92 years

Team USA won the gold medal at the IIHF World Championships for the first time since 1933 on Sunday. The game ended with a dramatic overtime winner from Buffalo Sabres star Tage Thompson, breaking a scoreless deadlock just over two minutes into the extra period.

The Americans, who were the youngest team participating in the tournament and now also the youngest to ever win it, featured a mix of rising NHL stars and established veterans. There were a couple familiar faces that Sun Devil fans may have recognized.

Two Sun Devil Hockey stars help Team USA win historic gold medal at World Championships

Seattle Kraken goalie Joey Daccord and Utah Mammoth forward Josh Doan were selected to Team USA's roster and made an impact, albeit limited, to its eventual championship victory.

Daccord, who played in Tempe from 2016-19, earned two wins in the tournament hosted by Sweden and Denmark. He posted a 91.89 save percentage, a 2.00 GAA and also a single shutout. Before winding up in Seattle, he spent time with the Ottawa Senators - the team that signed him in 2019.

Doan, the son of Arizona Coyotes legend Shane Doan, played a single season for the Sun Devils (2021-22). He was selected 37th overall by his father's former club in the 2021 NHL Draft. Doan logged a single point (an assist) and a plus-two rating during the 2025 World Championships but saw ice time in just about every contest.

The two were seen together on the ice holding the trophy and celebrating in the locker room, representing Sun Devil nation and making ASU fans worldwide proud.

Chad "Diesel" Walker, an athletic trainer with ASU Hockey, was also a part of the Team USA staff during the tournament. He of course, joined in on the Sun Devil reunion when the trophy was making its rounds.

Doan and Daccord have already made their Sun Devil marks on the NHL but now they'll forever go down as American legends as part of a historic squad that did what was once thought unthinkable.