Daniel Sprong leaves the NHL in stunning career development

It had been a weird season for Daniel Sprong in the NHL in 2024-25. Ever since he left the Detroit Red Wings, things have gone downhill for the forward. Back in November, the Vancouver Canucks made the curious move of trading Sprong to the Seattle Kraken for nothing. Well, you know, the classic promise of future considerations. The Kraken then placed him on waivers and he went unclaimed the next day. At the trade deadline, he was acquired by the New Jersey Devils. In 30 NHL games last season, he scored seven points (two goals, five assists) while averaging 12:12 of ice time per contest.

Some pundits wonder if Sprong had fallen out of favour in the NHL after an incident in the summer of 2023. Allegations were made by former INDYCAR driver Zach Claman DeMelo, who claimed back in August 2023 that he was assaulted by Sprong at a nightclub during the Detroit Grand Prix weekend. DeMelo posted the allegation on his Instagram story, saying that Sprong “grabbed my neck and pinned me on a wall.” After the two were separated, DeMelo said that Sprong came back and committed assault. DeMelo had then commented that he couldn’t say anything more due to “legal reasons” but ended up calling out Sprong for his actions and character.

The season before the incident, Sprong had posted a career-high 21 goals and 25 assists for 46 points in 66 games in 2022-23. He went on to play in Detroit, before signing with the Canucks the following summer.

But now his NHL career appears to be over. It was reported on Wednesday that Sprong has signed a one-year contract with CSKA Moscow of Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).

Sprong, who was a second-round draft pick (No. 46 overall) of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2015 and spent parts of three seasons with the franchise was pretty much a journeyman in the NHL, and now is moving overseas to keep his professional hockey career alive.