Toronto Maple Leafs striker Jason Spezza announced his retirement on Sunday after a 19-season career in the NHL.
The 38-year-old is moving from the ice to the Maple Leafs reception, where he will serve as special assistant to general manager Kyle Dubas.
“I think it’s going to be a difficult time for me to move forward,” Spezza said in a video conference on Sunday. “But I am very grateful to have the opportunity to stay in the organization, to stay out of the club.
“I’m very invested in what we’ve done here over the last three years. I believe in the group and I think that’s the way I can continue to contribute to the organization and I hope it helps the team get better.”
Ranked second overall by Ottawa in the 2001 draft, Spezza spent his first 11 seasons with the Senators before joining the Dallas Stars in 2014 and Toronto in 2019.
In each of his three seasons in Toronto, Spezza watched his hometown Leafs bounce back in their first-round playoff series, a source of remorse when he retired.
“It’s a very emotional time for me, a difficult time,” he said. “The initial shock and the fear that the season would end so quickly was hard to overcome. I would say it was probably as sincere a loss for me as coming back and losing in the final. [in 2007 with Ottawa]. “
“I don’t think I can ever put into words how much it means to me to try to win the Stanley Cup. There’s definitely a big gap in my heart and in my career without being able to win it.”
Jason Spezza today announced his retirement from the NHL after 19 seasons. He will join the Maple Leafs reception immediately. #LeafsForever
– @ MapleLeafs
Although in a different capacity, Spezza will still have a chance to chase that elusive Cup he could never win, and complete pending matters with the Leafs in his new role.
“We feel like an organization, myself, our management team, that [he] He was someone who, because of his passion for hockey, his intelligence, his way of seeing the game and his ability to pass on that knowledge to others, we would certainly like to have him as a member of our office. “And we have a responsibility for everything he has done for our organization to make sure we have a plan and a path for him when his days as a player come to an end.”
Spezza recorded 995 points (363 goals and 632 assists) in 1,248 NHL regular season games, with another 76 points (28 goals and 48 assists) in 97 playoff games of his career.
The two-time NHL star (2008, 2012) is among the top 100 on the NHL all-time list for games played (t-96), assists (80) and points (94).
He had 12 goals and 13 assists in 71 games this season, adding another assist in five playoff outings.
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The eighth captain in the history of the Ottawa franchise, Spezza ranks sixth in games played (686) and second in goals (251), assists (436) and points (687) during his 11 seasons as a senator.
“My time in Ottawa was my best moment as a player at my best and being part of those great teams of the Ottawa Senators who went to the finals, knocked on the door and tried to overcome the gepa “, said Spezza. “We kept our team together for a long time and that allowed us to grow together.
“Just a lot of special teammates for that and I think as a player that was probably the pinnacle of my career.”
Spezza added veteran knowledge to the Leafs during his stay in Toronto, often playing a more important role with the team off the ice than with him.
“It’s hard to describe the positive and lasting impact Jason Spezza had on his three seasons with the Maple Leafs,” Dubas said. “Jason’s passion for the game of hockey, his desire to continually push himself and his teammates to improve, as well as his ability to establish strong connections with all members of the organization, have been invaluable.” .
He made an encouraging speech after the first period of Toronto’s fifth game win over the Tampa Bay Lightning during the first round of this year, with his team ahead 2-0.
He also showed leadership when he first arrived in 2019 and was a healthy scratch in his first game despite being one of Toronto’s biggest free agent picks during the offseason. Instead of complaining publicly, Spezza became a mother and remained a professional, indicating her full tenure at Leafs.
Internationally, Spezza represented Canada at four IIHF World Championships (2008, 2009, 2011, 2015), three Junior World Championships (2000, 2001, 2002) and the Spengler Cup in 2012.