{"id":87217,"date":"2025-07-23T23:59:13","date_gmt":"2025-07-23T23:59:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/87217\/"},"modified":"2025-07-23T23:59:13","modified_gmt":"2025-07-23T23:59:13","slug":"in-honor-of-daniel-sprong-moving-on-to-the-khl-heres-his-best-story-about-alex-ovechkin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/87217\/","title":{"rendered":"In honor of Daniel Sprong moving on to the KHL, here\u2019s his best story about Alex Ovechkin"},"content":{"rendered":"

Daniel Sprong<\/strong> is taking his talents to Russia. <\/p>\n

Wednesday, CSKA Moscow announced that they signed the the Dutch forward to a one-year KHL deal for the 2025-26 season. <\/p>\n

The 28-year-old winger played for three different NHL teams last season, posting seven points (2g, 5a) in 30 games combined for the Seattle Kraken, Vancouver Canucks, and New Jersey Devils. Sprong also tallied 25 points (11g, 14a) in 19 games played with the Coachella Valley Firebirds \u2013 the AHL affiliate of the Kraken.<\/p>\n

\u201cI loved it here (in New Jersey),\u201d Sprong said in his Breakdown Day interview with Devils media<\/a>. \u201cGreat group of guys, great fans. I would say everything before New Jersey
(this year) was pretty difficult. Mentally a lot of ups and downs, mostly downs. When I got to New Jersey, I think I fit in well. I think my game, I showed I could play physical, I showed I could play defensively.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sprong added that Sheldon Keefe \u201cis my favorite coach I have played for in the NHL so far. He is honest. He says it how it is. That works really well for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sprong ultimately landed in New Jersey at the trade deadline after being acquired from the Kraken for for a 2026 seventh-round pick. He posted two assists in 11 regular-season games for the Devils, and appeared in Game 1 of the Devils\u2019 first-round playoff series against the Carolina Hurricanes, suiting up with Paul Cotter and Cody Glass on the third line. Sprong was then healthy-scratched four consecutive contests as the Devils lost the series in five games.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the last four to five years, my numbers in the bottom six have shown I produce there,\u201d he added. \u201cThis year it didn\u2019t happen. I would say since getting here, I played well both sides. I was on the ice for a good amount of goals but the puck never seemed to find me. I loved it here and I really hope I can come back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sprong waited on New Jersey to make a decision before exploring other options in free agency. His likely scenario would have been a PTO and having to make a team out of training camp.<\/p>\n

Sprong\u2019s NHL career likely comes to an end despite being an electric goal-scorer who could light the lamp with little on-ice opportunity. <\/p>\n

Per @JFreshHockey:<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

Daniel Sprong has signed in the KHL.<\/p>\n

Sprong scored 5v5 goals at the 17th-most efficient rate of any player in the NHL over the course of his career. He never got more than 4th line minutes and played for 8 teams across 374 games. pic.twitter.com\/2fLwYLWoB5<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 JFresh (@JFreshHockey) July 23, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Sprong is three seasons removed from a career year where he scored a career high 21 goals and 46 points in 66 games with the Kraken. He followed that up with 18 goals and 43 points in 76 games with the Detroit Red Wings in 2023-24.<\/p>\n

Sprong will go down in history as one of the rare players who suited up with both Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin during his nine-season NHL career. Once, he actually looked off Ovechkin while scoring on a two-on-one break.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Sprong talked about the experience with the Empty Netters podcast.<\/p>\n

\n @empty.netters<\/a> Imagine looking off Ovechkin on a 2 on 1 and living to tell the tale \ud83e\udd45 #nhl<\/a> #hockey<\/a> #pocast<\/a> #alexanderovechkin<\/a> #washingtoncapitals<\/a> \u266c original sound \u2013 Empty Netters<\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Sprong said:<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

We\u2019re in morning skate. We go on a 2-on-1 together. You just go with any guy 2-on-1. I\u2019m kind of being an idiot and I start laughing at him and I look at him the whole way but shoot it. I missed the net probably by 20 feet. It wasn\u2019t even close. And he looks angry at me. So I\u2019m like, \u2018F***, Dan, why\u2019d you do it?\u2019 Give it to him\u2026 just pass it to him.<\/p>\n

The game goes and before the game I do my handshakes and always, I had one with Ovi and he would just be like, \u2018Babe just shoot the puck. Don\u2019t think.\u2019 And I told him, \u2018O, but you got mad at me this morning.\u2019 He goes, \u2018Yeah, yeah, shoot it.\u2019 \u2018But what if [you\u2019re] open?\u2019 \u2018You got to give it to me. So I go \u2018okay sounds good.\u2019<\/p>\n

So game happens and we\u2019re midway through play. Like early in the second, I got moved up to his line and a turnover happens. 2-on-1 and I look over and I see it\u2019s Ovi going with me. So I\u2019m going down, I\u2019m like \u2018I got to pass this one.\u2019 But the more I get going, the closer and closer (I get), I\u2019m like the D is starting to shift over and I see the goalie, instead of playing me, plays\u2026 his feet switch and he\u2019s starting to play the pass. So I\u2019m like, \u2018What am I doing here? What am I doing here?\u2019<\/p>\n

And then at one point, I made the decision, this is a freebie. Like I have half the net to shoot at. I\u2019m going to hit the net, I\u2019m scoring. So I decided to shoot it. <\/p>\n

Thank god it went in. And then when I scored, I just started laughing. If you look at all the guys on the ice, they knew what was going on the whole day and started laughing. And I\u2019m like, \u2018I\u2019m sorry.\u2019 And he loved it. <\/p>\n

Honestly, like, he\u2019s a guy that if you\u2019re on his team and you score, it\u2019s like if he scored. He\u2019s so happy for you. He\u2019s an unbelievable guy and captain. And he was great to me in Washington. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Sprong, initially acquired by the Capitals from the Anaheim Ducks for Christian Djoos, played two seasons in Washington coming out of the coronavirus pandemic. Sprong scored 13 times in 42 games during the 2020-21 season before notching 8 goals in 47 appearances during the 2021-22 campaign. Falling out of favor with Peter Laviolette<\/a>, Sprong was dealt as part of a package to the Kraken in 2022<\/a> for veteran forward Marcus Johansson.<\/p>\n

The 2025-26 season will mark Sprong\u2019s first season overseas as a professional.<\/p>\n

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