Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll notice that the Toronto Maple Leafs sit atop of the NHL standings. 1st overall thanks in large part to leading goal scorer Auston Matthews, leading point-getter Mitch Marner and team leader in Hat Tricks…Jason Spezza?
Okay, maybe I’m stretching it a bit throwing Spezza into that mix of key reasons for the Leafs early success this season. But even without that Hat Trick versus the lowly Canucks, it’s no secret Spezza has been an impactful player for the Maple Leafs ever since he joined the team prior to the 2019-20 season as an unrestricted free agent.
Aside from his obvious skill set that has kept him in the NHL for 20 years, Spezza brings a key component to the Toronto Maple Leafs that has been lacking and absent for the last decade: veteran presence, experience and leadership.
As the NHL becomes a younger, faster and more skillful league, it becomes crucial for teams to ensure they have the proper guidance in the locker room to maintain the necessary focus for those players to succeed. While most teams attempt to meet these needs, it’s becoming more apparent how rare it can be to find a player who encompasses such leadership qualities while producing effectively on the ice and keeping them in the lineup on a regular basis. Luckily for the Leafs, Spezza has been that player for the last decade and a half.
Spezza’s road back to his hometown team has been anything but ordinary. Riddled with a mixture of personal accolades, close calls and unfortunately a collection of injuries. But thanks to the skill and hockey sense that has kept him in the league for so long, his story has a real shot for a happy ending.
We begin Spezza’s journey as a young hockey prodigy where he played for the Toronto Marlboros AAA team scoring 114 points in 54 games. Even at a young age, he was touted as a future NHL star and granted exceptional player status in the Ontario Hockey League Draft as a 15-year-old. During this era, the rule stated that any player given exceptional status could ONLY play for his hometown team. Before the years of the Mississauga Ice Dogs, he was required to play for the team closest to his hometown, the young Brampton Battalion franchise. During his first year in the OHL, Spezza scored 71 points in 67 games and became the youngest player to ever participate in an OHL All-Star Game at 15 years old. Shortly after, he was moved to his hometown Mississauga Ice Dogs during their expansion draft but requested a trade to the Windsor Spitfires, where he recorded a whopping 166 points in just 66 games.
The hype behind Jason Spezza was now gaining some real traction throughout the rest of his OHL career as he was drafted #2 Overall by the Ottawa Senators in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft (Ilya Kovalchuk went #1).
While he did mention his disappointment not landing an opportunity playing for the team he grew up watching, learning from players like Wendel Clark and Doug Gilmour, Jason Spezza was thrilled to be drafted by an up-and-coming Senators team, adding to his maturing attitude as a NHL rookie. He began playing for Ottawa’s then-farm team, the Grand Rapids Griffins and Binghamton Senators, bouncing back and forth between the AHL and NHL until the 2003-04 season where he became a regular in the Ottawa lineup, scoring 55 points in 78 games. Spezza was poised to become a superstar for the 2004-05 season but unfortunately for him the NHL was locked out that year, forcing Spezza back to Binghamton. But in an odd twist of fate, that turned out to be Spezza’s best move for his development as he amassed 117 points in the 2004-05 AHL season, winning both the John B. Sollenberger awarded to the league’s top points scorer and the Les Cunningham award as the AHL League MVP.
Once the NHL resumed in 2005-06, Spezza joined Dany Heatley and Daniel Alfredsson, centering Ottawa’s top line and helping both Heatley and Alfredsson finish tied for 4th in league scoring with 103 points each. Spezza himself recorded 90 points in 68 games and set a single-season franchise record with 71 assists. He helped the Senators knock off the defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning but would lose to the Buffalo Sabres in the 2nd round totalling 14 points in 10 playoff games.
After successful back surgery before the start of the 2006-07 season, Spezza and the Senators embarked on an unforgettable season that (despite injury) saw him score a career-high 34 goals and 87 points in only 67 games. Finishing 2nd in the then-Northeast Division behind the President Trophy winning Buffalo Sabres, the Ottawa Senators made an unlikely run to the Stanley Cup Final losing to a stacked Anaheim Ducks team made up of then-young stars Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry along with Hall-of-Famers Chris Pronger, Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne. The line of Heatley-Alfredsson-Spezza was a major difference for the Sens with all three scoring 22 points in 20 games apiece.
But for every great player’s highs during their career comes the lows that make them appreciate their opportunities that so many before them haven’t even come close to tasting.
Even after signing his largest NHL contract at 7 years/$49 million with the Ottawa Senators, injuries and questionable management decisions kept Spezza from ever getting another shot at the elusive Stanley Cup. Although succeeding internationally with numerous World Championship appearances and being named Team Captain to start the 2013-14 NHL season, the lack of direction and success from the Senators franchise forced Spezza’s hand to request a trade out of Ottawa as he felt time was running out for a chance to win it all.
But after those few mediocre seasons with the Dallas Stars, things looked just about final for Jason as his decision to leave the game he loved so much was quickly becoming a reality when he became a free agent in 2019.
Until…
Enter Kyle Dubas.
During his first years as the Toronto Maple Leafs GM, Dubas was praised for his constant additions of scoring and offensive production but criticized for the team’s inability to develop their young talent through guidance and leadership. It was no secret Dubas needed to add some experience to aide his team’s young stars in their development and maturity as NHL players and Spezza appears to fit the mold, stating how “his willingness to come here for the (league) minimum (salary) just in the spirit of things made it a great fit for us.”
Now, you cannot say with a straight face that you expected Spezza to be such an impactful player for this team. Anyone could’ve guessed his limited role as a 4th line centre but you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who thought he would be the offensive force he has been at the tender age of 37. Aside from his Hat Trick versus Vancouver, Spezza has still been able to amass just under half a point per game during his first two seasons with the Leafs with an impressive 8 points in just 13 games this season. But the biggest difference on the scoresheet is his Face-Off percentage. Spezza leads the team in face-off success rate at 63.4% ahead of John Tavares who is second on the team with a 58.9% success rate.
Not bad for a 37-year-old 4th line centreman playing just under 12 minutes a night.
But it’s his presence off the ice that seems to have the most impact and appears to be the most surprising. As an NHL pro, he has had his fair share of criticism especially playing in a pressure-fueled city like Ottawa where his loyalty and passion was sometimes thrown into question. Despite his on-ice success, fans and media still doubted his work ethic and preparation due to his numerous injuries that had affected his consistency year in and year out. However, like a true professional, he never lashed out against the media, fans or management, taking full responsibility when the team failed to succeed as he knew he was a leader on the ice.
It is that leading by example that has earned him respect from the league and his peers so much so that when put on waivers earlier this season (for roster adjustments due to the Robertson injury) the consensus around the league was that because he had stated that he would retire if another team picked him up, no GM in the NHL would abruptly end his career just to sabotage another team’s key pieces to their success. It’s just not in good taste for a player of his caliber and character.
And his young teammates share that respect and passion for their ‘fatherly-like’ teammate whom they are always rooting for. Matthews alluded to how valuable Spezza is to this club stating that “he means a lot to this team, more than I think anyone knows. He works so hard every day and at this stage in his career, the dedication that he pours into his own game and into the team, to see a guy like him get rewarded [Hat Trick versus Vancouver] like he did was pretty incredible.” It’s clear to see that the team really values his presence especially seeing the reaction of his teammates, young and old, when he was able to score three goals in such impressive fashion.
Now, it’s not like Jason Spezza is anywhere near the caliber of player he used to be.
He never will be. And that’s okay. Father Time takes care of that.
But you have to admit…he’s still got it.
He still embodies the skillset, passion and willingness enough to keep him in the lineup contributing for the Maple Leafs.
But more importantly, Jason Spezza has not only accepted his role as a mentor and advisor to this team, but he has also savoured this opportunity to lead by example. Spending so many years with a Swedish hero who captained his then-Senators, opening countless doors for him to excel as a young superstar in his 20s, you’ve got to think that Spezza might be looking to mimic the impact ANOTHER former Swede, which presented similar leadership qualities on this team over a decade ago.
As players age, they lose certain aspects of their game that are out of their control. Their speed, their strength and in most cases, their durability to remain in the lineup. Given the right amount of training, strategic recovery time and a balanced nutrition plan, professional athletes are capable of playing at a high level well into their forties.
At this point, Spezza is ascending into Tom Brady-territory of durability and consistency.
The only thing left for him to accomplish in his already illustrious NHL career…a Stanley Cup championship.
-David Celebre
Twitter: @davidceleb