Jason Spezza has tendered his resignation from the Toronto Maple Leafs following the departure of general manager Kyle Dubas, according to a report from The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun.
Spezza had served as Toronto’s special assistant to Dubas this past year, his first role in his post-playing career.
Spezza, 39, played the final three years of his NHL career with the Maple Leafs, scoring 80 regular-season points. He had five points in seven games during the 2021 playoffs, his best postseason run with the Leafs.
Drafted second overall in 2001, Spezza spent more than a decade with the Ottawa Senators, helping the team advance to the Stanley Cup Final in 2007. The following year, he had a career-high 92 points with Ottawa and would record at least 84 points on four occasions.
After serving as captain with Ottawa in 2013-14, he joined the Dallas Stars for 2014-15, where he spent the next five seasons. He had three 50-plus-point seasons before seeing his offense drastically drop in the final two years. He then finished his pro career with the Leafs, his favorite childhood team.
When Dubas was let go, many believed Spezza would be part of the team in a big way as the club looks for its newest GM. Spezza was a popular figure with the players, having played with much of the core, and he seemed in tune with everything going on in the NHL.
The team hasn’t confirmed the move as of yet, but it will be interesting to see if Spezza ends up following Dubas wherever he goes. Dubas told reporters on Monday that if he wasn’t the GM of the Leafs, he would take a year off instead of seeking out a new job. We’ll have to see if Spezza follows Dubas’ lead, or if he goes elsewhere for 2023-24.
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