Trying times for Marner, Spezza

Mitch Marner and Jason Spezza were practising with the Leafs Monday, having cleared separate ordeals that tested them as players and as people.

In fact, both told stories — Marner returning from injury after taking an accidental hit from teammate Jake Muzzin, and Spezza’s path through a six-game suspension, only to find out hours later that he had tested positive for COVID.

“I think you can ask him, but Jake is one of my best friends on this team, so we had some nice words about it, then it was back to loving each other and just joking around about it,” Marner said of the Dec. 3 hit from Muzzin that led to a suspected shoulder problem.

While Marner was upset at first, it was quickly upstaged by his characteristic positivity and support of his teammates.

“Obviously, no one wants to hurt a teammate, or hurt one another,” Marner said. “So, just an unlucky bounce, that’s all there really was to it. Stuff like that happens, and for us, we got over it pretty quickly.”

Marner went on long-term injured reserve after the hit, but was able to return, in part, thanks to the games and days postponed by the COVID pause. That period of time was credited to his LTIR exit requirements, which state a player must remain on injured reserve for 10 games or 24 days.

Marner should now have enough time to recover fully, with the NHL postponing six of Toronto’s games, starting with the Leafs’ Dec. 16 game in Calgary. Toronto is scheduled to play its first game since then on Jan. 1, against Ottawa.

Spezza was among 14 players, three coaches and four support staff who tested positive during, and after, that western Canadian road swing that saw the team move on from Calgary to Vancouver. It was in Vancouver that the case count grew, with the Leafs and the NHL, triggering a leaguewide pause, and a problem for Leafs management in returning five players with positive tests to Toronto.

“First off, I’m very fortunate I play for the Leafs, with Mr. Tanenbaum (Leafs owner Larry), Kyle (GM Dubas), and Brendan Shanahan (team president). They did everything in their power to make sure it was a safe way to get home,” Spezza said, of a desperate scramble by the Leafs brass to track down a flight from Vancouver to Toronto, when original travel plans were dropped due to concerns about flying with players in COVID protocol.

“We were probably the furthest point away from home. So, there’s some restless moments in the hotel in Vancouver, just wondering if and how we would be able to get home. But we’re very fortunate the organization cared as much as they did, and did everything they could … but on the positive, being away when I caught it, I didn’t expose my family to it, so some comfort in that knowing they were safe.”

Spezza, a father with four daughters, admitted there were some moments where the process was emotional for him. He tested positive “four to six hours” after learning that his appeal was successful in reducing his suspension from six games to four.

The Leafs, who cleared John Tavares from protocols Sunday, activated three more players Monday, including Spezza, Alex Kerfoot, and Wayne Simmonds.

Just an unlucky bounce, that’s all there really was to it. MITCH MARNER, ON HIS INJURY