Daniel Sprong to Switch to 17 Jersey as Patrick Kane Assumes Familiar 88
Patrick Kane's arrival triggers a uniform number change for Daniel Sprong
With Patrick Kane officially signing in Detroit then appearing in the Winged Wheel for the first time at this morning's skate, the three-time Stanley Cup Champion assumed his familiar number 88 sweater.
Of course, as recently as yesterday, that number was offered by Daniel Sprong, who took over the number this summer upon signing with the Red Wings. Sprong said he had initially chosen the number in homage to Alex Ovechkin's number 8.
However, Sprong (who has also worn 41, 11, 10, and 91 throughout his NHL career) made clear at yesterday's practice that he didn't intend to get in the way of Kane donning 88. Today, before Kane's contract is even officially registered, Sprong made good on that promise by switching to number 17.
17 is a fitting number in Detroit for a goalscorer like Sprong, with Brett Hull having scored 92 goals in the jersey during his three-season, Cup-winning Red Wing career.