SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Kraken reacquired Daniel Sprong on Friday in a trade with their cross-border rivals, the Vancouver Canucks, sending future considerations back in return for the well-traveled forward.
Sprong, 27, had just three points and averaged under 12 minutes of ice time in nine games with Vancouver. He spent the end of the 2021-22 season and all of ’22-23 with Seattle before playing last year with Detroit.
“Hopefully this gives us a little jolt to get things going in the right direction,” Seattle general manager Ron Francis said.
The Kraken are looking for an offensive spark after losing nine of their first 14 games. Sprong had his best NHL season with them, setting career highs with 21 goals and 46 points and matching his best assist total with 25.
“Obviously we’ve been struggling to score some goals lately, so we’ve been looking at that,” Francis said. “He knows our team, our locker room. We thought it was a low-risk gamble to give him a shot.”
Sprong has also previously suited up for Pittsburgh, Anaheim and Washington since making his debut in the league in 2015. He has 165 points in 366 regular-season and playoff games.
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Vancouver Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen (32) is congratulated by Daniel Sprong, center, and Carson Soucy (7) after defeating the San Jose Sharks in an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Couples who look awkward on skates — and on dates — had a chance to celebrate their cute clumsiness in a Rocky and Adrian look-alike contest at Philadelphia’s RockyFest on Friday.
The evening event at the University of Pennsylvania’s 1923 Ice Rink was meant to echo the pair’s first date in “Rocky.” In the classic 1976 film, the eponymous boxer never actually dons ice skates in the scene, but instead shuffles alongside his best friend Paulie’s sister as she tries to stay upright.
The contest's winning prize was a dinner at South Philadelphia’s iconic Victor Café, where the servers also sing opera, along with a hotel stay and a $250 certificate for a Rocky-themed gift shop.
New York City firefighter Jason Carrion and his wife, Roxanne Carrion, took first place.
“I wanted to do something because we’re the biggest ‘Rocky’ fans, I think, ever. I mean, just look at us,” said Jason Carrion, dressed in a leather jacket and hat identical to Rocky's street wear in the movie.
Roxanne Carrion called the event her dream date. “I’m going ice skating, going to the ‘Rocky’ steps dressing up, and now we’re going to see ‘Rocky’ film at the movie theater. So this has been the perfect date for us,” she said.
She said the film has garnered such widespread appeal because of the “underdog” theme: "It’s an inspirational story that transcends any age or a person, doesn’t it?”
Philadelphia served as a backdrop to the popular “Rocky” franchise, something the city is celebrating nearly 50 years later with a five-day festival that grew out of the inaugural Rocky Day in 2023.
The events this week have included a mural unveiling, movie marathons, talks on the enduring appeal of the Sylvester Stallone character and a bus tour of favorite scenes.
Meanwhile, a second cast of the Rocky statue was unveiled at the top of the Rocky steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art — the original was featured in “Rocky III” — and will remain there through Dec. 31.
“This statue represents everything that the Rocky films stand for: resilience, heart, and the unbreakable bond between Rocky and the people of Philadelphia,” Stallone said in a statement.
Contestants of the Rocky and Adrian look-alike stand on Penn Ice Rink during RockyFest in Philadelphia, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Tassanee Vejpongsa)
Jason and Roxanne Carrion, from New York, dress up as Rocky and Adrian for the look-alike contest during the RockyFest at Penn Ice Rink in Philadelphia, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Tassanee Vejpongsa)
Visitors gather around the Rocky Statue and the “Rocky Steps” during RockyFest 2024 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo Tassanee Vejpongsa)
FILE - Sylvester Stallone, left, poses with Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney in front of the Rocky statue at the Philadelphia Art Museum for a "Creed II" photo op, Friday, April 6, 2018, in Philadelphia.(AP Photo/Michael Perez)
Visitors gather around the Rocky Statue and the “Rocky Steps” during RockyFest 2024 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo Tassanee Vejpongsa)
