Jason Spezza has retired and will join the Leafs front-office

A day that many Leafs fans were going to be saddened by has come, as Jason Spezza has announced his retirement as a player.

Jason Spezza announced today his retirement from the NHL after 19 seasons. He will be joining the Maple Leafs’ front office effective immediately. #LeafsForever

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) May 29, 2022

In addition to his retirement as a player, Spezza announced that he would immediately be joining the Leafs’ front office as Special Assistant to GM Kyle Dubas. So while he will no longer be able to help his team reach new heights on the ice, he will do his best to help them off the ice.

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The former second overall pick of the 2001 NHL spent the final three seasons of his career with his hometown team, where he recorded 31 goals, 49 assists, and 80 points in 183 games played. Spezza also registered six points in 17 career playoff games with the Leafs. Having also played for the Senators and Stars, he finished his career with 995 points in 1248 regular-season games (five points shy of the 1000-point milestone) and 76 points in 91 career postseason games.

Despite starting his tenure with a controversial healthy scratch, his passion and commitment to the Leafs never wavered, going as far as threatening retirement if claimed off waivers by another team early in the 2021 shortened campaign. It’s no wonder that Spezza will be remaining part of the organization after hanging up his skates.

While he was unable to hoist the Stanley Cup as a player, Spezza still has a chance to help his boyhood team return to the mountain top. Best of luck in retirement, Spezza!

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