A Call from Rick Tocchet Sealed the Deal for Daniel Sprong to Join the Canucks

On Saturday, Vancouver Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin announced that the club had come to terms on a one-year, $975,000 contract with forward Daniel Sprong. 

On Monday, Sprong met with the media to discuss his contract and why Vancouver makes the most sense for the 27-year-old. 

“I just thought the biggest thing was for me to be in a situation where I could be happy and [it would] be a good opportunity for me,” said Sprong. “I talked to Vancouver, and spoke to coach Tocc, and we had a really good conversation on the phone. We've known each other since I got drafted by Pittsburgh, and I played under him when he was an assistant coach, and we had a really good talk. I felt really happy after that call and the decision was a no-brainer after that.” 

Sprong has scored 85 goals and tallied 74 assists for 159 points in 344 NHL games. He scored a career-high 21 goals during the 2022-23 season when he was with the Seattle Kraken. This past year, Sprong scored 18 goals and added 25 assists for 43 points in 76 games with the Detroit Red Wings.

When asked about his potential role with the club, Sprong knows what his strengths are but is also aware that he has parts of his game that he needs to improve on to be trusted in the Canucks’ system. 

“I’m a scoring winner. I know I have some things to work on, and we talked about that and how they're going to help me, and the opportunities are going to present [themselves]. I'm going to come into [training] camp, I have an idea where they see me, but at the end of the day, I'm going to have to play the right way and produce. And when I get the opportunity, I’ve got to take it,” Sprong said.

Sprong mentioned that he has several friends on the team. He vacationed with Elias Pettersson in the past, met Jake DeBrusk at their draft and has stayed connected since, and played with Carson Soucy in Seattle. Additionally, he has played with Teddy Blueger in Pittsburgh and Scranton (AHL) and Kiefer Sherwood in Anaheim and San Diego (AHL).

When asked about the coaching staff, Sprong said that after his phone call with Rick Tocchet, his mind was made up about signing with Vancouver and that he was excited about the conversation that he had with the reigning Jack Adams Award winner. 

Sprong spoke about wanting to improve on his defensive play. It’s something he’s working on in the offseason while also spending time with skills coaches and discussing plays that have happened to him in the past, so that it can prepare him for the future. 

“There's still part of my game that I want to fix, and we talked about that on the phone,” said Sprong. “How we're going to work on it and improve in that area, and then that's only going to lead to bigger opportunity and hopefully more success for the team and myself.” 

Sprong is aware that he will not be gifted a top-six role with the Canucks, but he is excited that he will have a chance in camp to work for that spot. He is looking to earn the trust of the coaching staff and do that on a game-by-game basis. 

Finally, Sprong spoke about how he has played well in his visits to Rogers Arena throughout his career. He scored two goals and earned two assists during his seven games played in Vancouver. 

“I love playing in Vancouver,” said Sprong. “When we were the visiting team, I always played well in that rink. It's one of my favourite cities on the road with the food and just the way the city is. I think it's a beautiful city, and I'm excited to be part of the organization and play 41 times at home.”