Spezza a mentor to younger Leafs
‘ You try to help your teammates out,’ he says
In the end, the longest journey of Jason Spezza’s hockey career only required him to drive around the corner.
“It’s been convenient,” a smiling Spezza agreed on Tuesday, after making the short hop from Mississauga to the Maple Leafs’ practice rink for another day of conditioning. “Playing the bulk of my career in Ottawa, I don’t think I ever thought I’d be playing here. It definitely takes a little bit of getting used to, seeing the jersey, but it’s an exciting time for me.”
Any chance of playing for the team he watched growing up seemingly faded with each of his 11 seasons as a member of the rival Sens and five more out of the conference with the Dallas Stars. But at age 36, in the twilight of a 1,000- game career, opportunity knocked for a homecoming.
The Leafs, suddenly shy of elder statesmen, and Spezza, anxious to show he could still help a team, especially one so near to his heart, agreed on a one- year US$ 700,000 deal. It might be already paying off for Toronto.
After all other players had departed Tuesday’s session, figuring two or three weeks until main training camp leaves plenty of time to work, Spezza wasn’t calling it a day. He was in teaching mode with fresh- off- the- boat Russian rookie forward Ilya Mikheyev, chatting on the bench and then some on-ice demo.
Toronto general manager Kyle Dubas saw that mentor role as part of Spezza’s value, beyond a projected day job on the fourth line, helping the second power play unit and lending some faceoff expertise.
“You try to help your teammates out, that’s always how I’ve been,” said Spezza. “When I came in the league, lots of guys helped me. It’s a pay- it- forward thing, it makes for a healthier environment when guys are working with each other and pushing each other. You make it part of your fundamentals; whoever is around, you help and you can work on your game in the process.”
When the NHL’S No. 2 overall pick made it up to Ottawa’s talented team in 2002- 03, he had that support group, including the man Toronto fans love to hate, Daniel Alfredsson.
“He was the captain, I was the young guy, but we always worked on our games together,” Spezza said. “I would show him the new stuff coming up ( junior hockey trends), he showed me a lot of good habits.
“He was a phenomenal guy, so were Bryan Smolinski, Curtis Leschyshyn, Luke Richardson. When you’re a leader, you don’t have to really preach, just do the work and the younger guys take notice.”
Spezza has yet to skate with Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and the rest of the young guns who’ve not checked in yet.
“I know Jake Muzzin from Team Canada and John Tavares and I trained together for years. I’m getting to know some of the younger Marlies guys who’ve been around here this summer. But the hockey world is a small world.”
No one yet knows how coach Mike Babcock will utilize Spezza, who ended last season in Dallas as an effective role player in a first round win over Nashville before losing to eventual Stanley Cup champion St. Louis. Spezza insists he won’t be frustrated by a lesser role on a team promoting youth. Right now, Matthews, Tavares and newcomer Alex Kerfoot will likely be the top three centres.
“I can help and make the team deeper,” Spezza said. “We have a chance to be a really strong club. If I can be sharp in the role I’m in, it just makes the team harder to play against.
“You need everybody, especially come playoff time. If your fourth line is playing 12 minutes, it has to be a good 12, it has to be effective and ( reflect) the way the team plays.
“The game is not that much faster, but the pace is up, every shift is intense, every game has a lot of implications ( in the standings or against potential post-season foes).
“I don’t know how many times you say over the course of the season ‘ this is the most important game.’ I feel that’s a newer trend. The good teams always used to be at the top and you knew you were going to make the playoffs. ( Now) that comfort level isn’t there for anybody. You have a team with 100 points ( such as Toronto the past two seasons), but feel you have to get off to a good start to make the playoffs the next year. That’s where depth comes in.”
He hasn’t cut short his own learning curve.
“This is a time of year when you can really invest in yourself and try to improve some things. The only way to stay sharp in this league is to stay on top of things. The game’s evolving and I’ve always put in a lot of time in the summer. Even when I was near the top of the league (92 points in ’ 07- 08), I felt you could always adjust things.
“Now, as you get older it becomes important to maintain that, especially in skating and technical aspects.”
Playing the bulk of my career in Ott awa, I don’t think I ever thought I’d be playing here.