After 19 seasons, 1248 games, 995 points, and the slow transition from an all-star in Ottawa to a special offensive contributor and veteran presence for the Leafs, no one can deny the quality of his career and his love for the game.
Spezza's passion for playing hockey allowed him to accept his role in later years, transitioning to that special offensive role in the Leafs' bottom six, while being paid the league minimum contract. Some former all-star players wouldn't accept the demotion that comes along with an aging player's declining skills.
But Spezza embraced it. His time in Toronto was marked as a man who cherished the role of being a mentor, of someone who desperately wanted to contribute in any way he could, and most importantly a man who kept on playing because he loved the sport of hockey. Taking the league minimum payment to contend with his hometown team, his love for hockey was truly remarkable.
This love for the game was accompanied by true hockey knowledge, and that will keep him in the hockey world with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Chris Johnston reports that Spezza will immediately joint the Maple Leafs' Front Office as a special advisor to GM Kyle Dubas.
Although he just came up short of 1,000 points, and never hoisted the Stanley Cup, his career is a truly remarkable one. A modern day legend of the Maple Leafs, fans will remember his contributions, and his patented half-slap shot on the power play, for years to come.
