Top 5 moments in Jason Spezza's career
This morning marked the end of an era as Toronto Maple Leafs forward Jason Spezza announced that he is hanging up the skates after 19 seasons in the NHL. Spezza will immediately join the Leafs' front office as Special Assistant to General Manager Kyle Dubas. In his career, Spezza played in 1,248 games with 995 career points (363 goals and 632 assists). Today seems like as good a time as any to take a look at what I view as the top 5 moments in Jason Spezza's career.
5. Spezza's memorable playoff debut
Spezza wasted no time making an impact in the NHL as he made his NHL playoff debut on May 19th, 2003 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals. During the series, Ottawa had trouble scoring so they looked for help in a young Jason Spezza. Spezza would pick up two points in his playoff debut, notching a goal and an assist. This was the beginning of something special for his career in Ottawa, as Spezza played in 56 playoff games with the Senators picking up 52 points. He was a key contributor to the Senators' 2007 Stanley Cup Final run.
4. Spezza turns back the clock
Jason Spezza would pick up his eighth career hat trick during the 2021 season against the Vancouver Canucks on February 4th. All three of his goals were vintage Spezza. His first goal of the game was a classic Spezza slapshot, the second goal was a beautiful snapshot over the goaltender's shoulder and the hat trick goal was a sweet little tuck-in around the defender.
3. Spezza goes end-to-end and adds one to the highlight reel
Throughout his career, Spezza has scored a lot of beautiful goals, but on March 13th, 2010 he scored what might be one of the best of his career, going end-to-end, deking the Vancouver Canucks defenders out of their jocks and burying the puck past Roberto Luongo, who was one of the league's absolute best at the time.
2. Spezza celebrates 1000 NHL games
On October 30th, 2018 in a game against the Montreal Canadiens Jason Spezza played in his 1000th career NHL game, during his time with the Dallas Stars. Spezza got no points in the game, but Dallas did win the game 4-1. He celebrated the milestone on November 10th, and it was certainly a night to remember.
1. Spezza's OT winner vs. Montreal
On October 27th, 2005 in a game between the Ottawa Senators and the Montreal Canadiens, with the game tied 3-3 in overtime, Jason Spezza took things into his own hands as three Habs players were on him. Spezz deked out Canadiens defenseman Sheldon Souray and then beat goaltender Jose Theodore with a backhand winning the game for Ottawa. This was one of the most beautiful backhand goals in NHL history.
With his career now in the books, Spezza will go down as one of the best playmakers in the game I will never forget his dominant seasons in Ottawa with Daniel Alfredsson and Dany Heatley. I'd imagine that we may yet see Spezza as a General Manager or Head Coach one day.
