Jason Spezza retires, will assist Dubas in Maple Leafs front office

Jason Spezza announced his retirement from the NHL on Sunday, but it sounds like he won’t be going far. Spezza and the Maple Leafs noted that he’ll join the team’s front office as a “special assistant” to GM Kyle Dubas.

For what can often be stuffy team releases, Dubas’ statement feels especially heartfelt.

“It is difficult to describe just how much of a lasting and positive impact that Jason Spezza made in his three seasons with the Maple Leafs,” Dubas said in the release. “Jason’s passion for the game of hockey, his desire to continuously push himself and his teammates to improve, as well as his capacity to make strong connections with all members of the organization, have been invaluable. Though today marks the end of his tenure with us as a player, it is a pleasure to have him join our front office to impart all that he has to offer.”

Let’s look at a lengthy career for Jason Spezza. At the end of this post, check out Spezza’s statement regarding his decision to retire.

Spezza would probably say the first thing that stings about retirement is that he never won a Stanley Cup.

It’s also a small shame how close he finished to an impressive milestone. Over 1,248 regular season games, Jason Spezza fell just short of 1,000 career points. Instead, he ended up scoring 363 goals and 632 assists for 995 points.

Jason Spezza is an absolute animal. was an entrenched veteran who took every single optional skate. worked out for like 90 mins after every game. handled his diminishing role this year with more grace than I thought possible. just exactly who you want a hockey player to be.

— Mike Stephens (@mikeystephens81) May 29, 2022

During three seasons with the Maple Leafs, he made the most of his opportunities. Hovering around 11