This may clear up some confusion.
Fishing lingo
springer = spring run chinnok
spring = Canadian for chinook (Canadians have some wierd names EH?)
For the mot part when someone uses "springer" They are talking about spring run chinook that will be entering the rivers soon.
Some river systems have steelhead that return in march through may that are sometimes called spring steelhead. They are actually a late returning winter steelhead, they spawn real soon after entering there river of birth. Then there are early returning summer steelhead, They spend 10 to 11 months in the river before spawning.
Ive caught summer steelhead, winter steelhead and spring chinook all in the same day on the South Santiam in Oregon. It was in mid May.