Joey Daccord made the four-hour drive from Phoenix to the Coachella Valley in 2017 to watch Roger Federer play in the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. Daccord, who became a big Federer fan growing up near Boston, watched the 20-time Grand Slam champion win the world-renowned tennis tournament, then drove back to Arizona thinking he would probably never have a reason to return to the valley.

Fast forward five years and Daccord, now 26, is among the key players suiting up for the Coachella Valley Firebirds, the newest team in the American Hockey League.

He’s one of only a few players on the team who had ever stepped foot in the valley prior to the team’s arrival earlier in November.

“It’s funny,” Daccord said, “back then, I was like, ‘I’m probably never coming back here.’ There was no reason to. Now, here we are, five or six years later. I love it down here. It’s amazing.”

In addition to being a full-circle moment for the 6-foot-2 Daccord, it’s also his third opportunity to help a program that’s just starting out. Daccord was a part of the first hockey team at Arizona State, in 2016, before signing a two-year contract with the Ottawa Senators of the NHL in 2019.

Last year, Daccord was a part of the Seattle Kraken’s inaugural season, playing five games for the Firebirds’ NHL affiliate after being called up from the Charlotte Checkers, where a handful of Firebirds played last season.

This season, Daccord is 3-1 in four games in goal for the Firebirds, allowing 13 goals in those games for a 3.26 goals-against average. He was called up to play with the Kraken on Oct. 22, played one game with the team in a 5-4 win over the Calgary Flames on Nov. 1 before behind sent down to the Firebirds.

Daccord’s aim, of course, is to use this season as an opportunity to play his way back into a more permanent role with the Kraken, or somewhere else in the NHL. It’s why he’s trying not to get too comfortable with what is an otherwise ideal location for hockey players wanting to escape the harsh winters in many other NHL and AHL cities.

“It’s a bit of a complicated situation,” Daccord said, “because you’re like, ‘I never want to go, but if I do have to go then, OK, that’s not the worst place to play.’ This is a very special place to be and now that I’m here, it is awesome.”

Another plan for Daccord, if he’s still around next spring, is to lead the Firebirds to a Calder Cup, the trophy given annually to the AHL champions.