For 19 seasons, Jason Spezza was known as one of the most consistent and well-respected players in the NHL. He represented the Ottawa Senators for 12 years, the last two as their captain.
In this edition of Toronto Maple Leafs News & Rumors, I’ll take a look at a number of breaking stories. Former assistant general manager Jason Spezza will join former general manager (GM) Kyle Dubas in Pittsburgh.
Jason Spezza is following Kyle Dubas to Pittsburgh. The Penguins named Spezza assistant general manager on Wednesday, the same role he had in Toronto under Dubas following his retirement in May 2022.
In a move that had been rumored for weeks, the Pittsburgh Penguins officially announced the addition of Jason Spezza to their front office on Wednesday.
One of the worst-kept secrets in hockey was made official today. Former Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas, now President of Hockey Ops for the Pittsburgh Penguins as we all know, officially announced the hiring of Jason Spezza as their new Assistant General Manager.
Pittsburgh Penguins’ President of Hockey Operations Kyle Dubas announced on Wednesday morning that Jason Spezza has been hired as an assistant general manager.
The Pittsburgh Penguins named longtime NHLer and former Toronto Maple Leafs executive Jason Spezza an assistant general manager Wednesday, the team said in a release.
Yesterday, Brad Treliving was named to be the new general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Also yesterday, Kyle Dubas was announced as the President of Hockey Operations with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
According to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, “Hearing that Steve Greeley, Director of Hockey Strategy, Scouting and Development for the Dallas Stars, was informed this morning by Fenway Group he was out of running for Penguins GM job.
Darren Dreger: Stan Bowman has spoken with some teams but he would need approval from the NHL to be hired. NHL Rumors: Potential GM candidates for the Toronto Maple Leafs Jonah – @YYZSportsMedia: “From various sources, in round #s I’m told Kyle Dubas demanded ~ between 6-7m for 5 yrs & total autonomy.
With everything that has gone on over the past 24 hours with the Toronto Maple Leafs, there are new questions to be piled on top of old questions that required answers.
Another domino has fallen on what seems to be an earthquake-altering day within the Toronto Maple Leafs organization. According to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun Jason Spezza, who spent this season as the Special Assistant to General Manager Kyle Dubas, submitted his resignation prior to Maple Leafs President, Brendan Shanahan’s news conference on Friday.
Jason Spezza has resigned from the Maple Leafs’ front office on Friday, according to Pierre LeBrun of TSN. Shortly after Brendan Shanahan met with the media on Friday, and it was learned that Kyle Duba would not be back with the organization, the former GM’s right-hand man is leaving too.
The Toronto Maple Leafs received a surprise resignation in the front office on what has been a chaotic Friday which had already seen the team move on from its general manager and multiple AHL coaches.
Spezza had served as Toronto’s special assistant to Dubas this past year, his first role in his post-playing career.
Jason Spezza is no stranger to making adjustments. During his final season in the NHL, the former All-Star forward saw his role continue to diminish. But he never complained.
On June 13, 1983, in Mississauga, Ontario, Jason Spezza was born. He is a part of a small list of players who played in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) at just 15 years old.
Jason Spezza was my favorite Toronto Maple Leafs’ player. From my perspective, he was a class act and a team player of the highest quality. He was a leader both on and off the ice.
It was just over two weeks ago that Jason Spezza announced his retirement and accepted a job in the Maple Leafs’ front office. The 19-season veteran called it a career after amassing a total of 995 points in 1248 career regular season games and an additional 76 points across 97 career playoff games.
Spezza scored 363 career goals with 632 assists, leaving him just five short of a 1,000-point career.
The clock may have finally stopped on Jason Spezza’s playing career, but there might be room for another battery in what would be one final spin. As the Maple Leafs went through locker cleanout day, each of them shared the massive disappointment, and the thought that this team was different heading into this year’s playoffs.
Jason Spezza will turn 39 in less than a month and is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Since Spezza’s hearing is in-person, the league can suspend him for five games or more. The date and time of the hearing have yet to be determined.
The normal trajectory of a star’s NHL career is pretty clear: once you’ve reached your peak as a player, you move slowly down the lineup, until you’re playing limited minutes on the fourth line or third-pairing defensive spot.
The 38-year-old tallied 10 goals and 20 assists in 54 games this season.
Jason Spezza has been a Maple Leafs’ player for two seasons now, and he’s been a great bargain at the NHL league-minimum contract he’s signed. He might be classified as an “aging veteran,” but he shows up season after season.
It seems likely that the Maple Leafs will bring him back, given how tight they will be to the salary cap once again.
Spezza tallied 25 points in 58 games last season and was set to become an unrestricted free agent on Friday.
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!