Sprong was born in the Netherlands, but he and his family moved to Canada in 2005 to help his hockey career.
The Pittsburgh Penguins didn't have a first-round pick in the 2015 NHL Draft; they selected Sprong in the second round (No. 46) after he led Charlottetown of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with 88 points (39 goals, 49 assists) and had 11 points (seven goals, four assists) in 10 playoff games.
Sprong was born in the Netherlands, but he and his family moved to Canada in 2005 to help his hockey career.
The Pittsburgh Penguins didn't have a first-round pick in the 2015 NHL Draft; they selected Sprong in the second round (No. 46) after he led Charlottetown of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with 88 points (39 goals, 49 assists) and had 11 points (seven goals, four assists) in 10 playoff games.
The Penguins signed Sprong to a three-year, entry-level contract Aug. 28, 2015, and he impressed management at training camp that he was on the opening-night roster for the 2015-16 season. He scored his first NHL goal in his fourth game, against the Ottawa Senators on Oct. 15, 2015. Sprong had two goals in 18 games for the Penguins before being returned to Charlottetown, where he spent most of the next two seasons.
Sprong started the 2017-18 season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Pittsburgh's American Hockey League affiliate. He earned an eight-game midseason callup and had three points (two goals, one assist), all against the New York Islanders in a 4-0 victory on Jan. 5, 2018. He was sent back to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and finished the season tied for fifth in the AHL with 65 points (32 goals, 33 assists) in 65 games, showing that he's ready for more time in the NHL.
NOTES & TRANSACTIONS
- QMJHL All-Rookie Team (2014)
- AHL All-Rookie Team (2018)
- Traded to Anaheim by Pittsburgh for Marcus Pettersson, December 3, 2018.
