Two-time NHL All-Star center Jason Spezza confirmed over the weekend that he is ending his playing career. However, this decision doesn’t mean Spezza will leave the league altogether.
According to the Toronto Maple Leafs, with whom Spezza spent the last three seasons, the 38-year-old player will transition to a front-office role with the franchise. He is set to serve as a “special assistant” to the Leafs’ general manager Kyle Dubas.
Jason Spezza played 19 years in NHL and spent 11 of them with the Ottawa Senators. This is where he left his biggest mark, receiving two All-Star nods and helping the franchise reach the Stanley Cup Finals. Spezza was traded to the Dallas Stars in 2014 and ended up playing five seasons with the franchise before signing with Maple Leafs as a free agent ahead of the 2019-20 campaign.
Spezza retires having played 1,248 games in NHL. He scored 363 goals and dished 632 assists for a total of 995 points.
“To the fans — in Ottawa, Dallas, Toronto, and across the league — your impact on the game is immeasurable,” said Spezza in a statement released by the team. “I’ll never be able to replicate that feeling of stepping onto the ice to the roar of the crowd, but it is something I’ll always remember. Thank you.”
