SEATTLE — Daniel Sprong has already sprung.
The 27-year-old forward scored his first goal as a Kraken several games into his second stint in Seattle.
"It felt like old times,” Sprong said of the Nov. 20 goal against the Nashville Predators. “Great pass by Chandler, and I thought as a line we were getting better and better as the game went on and happy we could get one for the team.”
The Kraken reacquired Sprong in a trade with the Vancouver Canucks on Nov. 8. Sprong previously spent the end of the 2021-22 season and all of ’22-23 with the Kraken before playing with Detroit.
It didn't take long for Sprong to fit back into his old digs. He was disappointed when he left Seattle to seek compensation after the 2023 season, so it felt like fate for him to earn a trade back.
"It's nice to be back, and it's a place I never really wanted to leave, but as the business goes, it happened,” Sprong said. “The hockey world is a small world, so I'm happy to be back and I'm comfortable here."
After a work visa delay, he joined the Kraken on the ice against the New York Islanders on Nov. 16.
Even with a new head coach in Dan Bylsma, Sprong feels at home within the Kraken organization and said his close friends Brandon Tanev, Andre Burakovsky, and Vince Dunn welcomed him with open arms.
"It's a place I feel really comfortable,” Sprong said. “I can be myself. They know my game. They know what kind of person I am. I just feel like I really fit in well here with the group of guys and the organization, and I'm really happy.”
And he's happiest to see the Kraken faithful get up and get loud.
"Of course, the fans are great,” Sprong said. “I still have the memory of us beating Colorado in that overtime win here at home when Ebs scored and the crowd going nuts.”