Canadian IndyCar driver claims NHL player Daniel Sprong sucker punched him in a nightclub

Former IndyCar driver Zach Claman DeMelo has issued serious accusations against NHL player Daniel Sprong, announcing in an Instagram story on Thursday that the Detroit Red Wings player assaulted him earlier this year.

DeMelo and Sprong, who both spent their childhoods in Montreal, were at the same nightclub during Grand Prix weekend in Detroit. According to the driver, Sprong hit him multiple times in the face.

“He grabbed my neck and pinned me on a wall, we were separated during that scuffle,” he wrote in an Instagram story. “Daniel came back and sucker punched me in the face while I was defenseless.”

The 25-year-old says that the blows he endured are still affecting him to this day.

“The dental work needed was brutal and I’m still not finished,” he wrote. “I also sustained a concussion that I’ve been dealing with for the past few weeks.”

@zachcd13/Instagram

DeMelo also shared photos of his face after the alleged incident. The images show scratches around his neck as well as broken teeth.

@zachcd13/Instagram

“I just wanted to bring attention to this situation as no one has the right to act this way, especially an athlete of Daniel’s caliber,” continued DeMelo. We must hold ourself to the highest of standards and for him to do this is beyond disappointing.”

“For legal reasons, I can’t say more at this time,” he concluded.

Sprong, 26, played in the Quebec Major Junior League (QMJHL) from 2013 to 2017.

Drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2015, the Netherlands native excelled in the 2022-2023 season, netting 21 goals and 46 points for the Seattle Kraken.

Sprong secured a one-year, $2 million contract with Detroit over the summer.

The player, the Red Wings organization, and the NHL have yet to comment on the incident involving DeMelo.

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