- Daniel Sprong scored 1:38 into overtime to give Avtomobilist a 4-3 preseason win over Traktor
- The celebration landed a day after Russian reports said his contract was about to be torn up
- Read below for the video and what Avtomobilist’s director said about the rumors
Daniel Sprong had something to say, and he said it to his own bench.
The former NHL winger scored 1:38 into overtime Saturday to give Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg a 4-3 preseason win over Traktor Chelyabinsk. Rather than pile into a normal celebration, he turned toward his teammates, jabbed a finger into his own chest over and over and shouted, “That’s why I am the best.”
Video of the moment went up on the KHL’s English account with that translation attached. Watch Sprong let his bench have it:
That video needs context, because the anger had a source. Less than a day earlier, Russian media reported that Avtomobilist was preparing to terminate the 29-year-old’s contract, with Ak Bars floated as his next stop.
Club director Maksim Ryabkov was asked about those reports and shot them down.
“Rumors always swarm from all sides, and you should not believe them. As for yesterday’s burst of activity around Daniel Sprong, these rumors have no basis. Our team is formed, the roster is set,” Ryabkov told Championat reporter Rodion Vlasov.
Sprong ran the third period too. He set up Anatoly Golyshev’s go-ahead goal with 5:15 left, and Nathan Legare answered with the goalie pulled to force the extra period. Sprong ended it 98 seconds into 3-on-3.
NHL fans know the resume. Sprong suited up for seven NHL teams, including the Penguins, Capitals, Kraken and Devils, before signing in Russia in July 2025. His first stop was CSKA Moscow, where he led the club in scoring and then sat as a healthy scratch for more than a month under head coach Igor Nikitin.
CSKA traded him to Avtomobilist on Jan. 10 for cash. Here is what he has done in Russia since leaving the NHL:
| Team | GP | G | A | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CSKA Moscow (2025-26) | 29 | 12 | 19 | 31 |
| Avtomobilist (2025-26) | 23 | 18 | 15 | 33 |
| Avtomobilist (2026 playoffs) | 6 | 5 | 2 | 7 |
There was an NHL name on the other bench, too. Traktor, who added former Lightning and Senators winger Boris Katchouk this summer, are coached by ex-Islanders boss Scott Gordon. Saturday was their first preseason game of the year and Avtomobilist’s third.
Avtomobilist heads to the Moscow Mayor’s Cup on Aug. 27, and everything the club said Saturday points to Sprong being on that trip.
