Spezza is a five-time all-star who stands second in all-time goals, assists and points for the franchise.
Spezza is a five-time all-star who stands second in all-time goals, assists and points for the franchise.
Former Ottawa Senator Jason Spezza was in the news this week, being promoted to the role of general manager for Pittsburgh's top farm club, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Spezza will continue as Pittsburgh's assistant GM as he prepares for his third season in NHL management.
As time marches on, the Senators will one day have a decision to make about Spezza's career. Did his body of work in Ottawa rise to the level of being a future member of the club's Ring of Honour? Should they go as far as retiring his number 19 jersey? Or should they do anything at all to celebrate his career?
Let's begin by eliminating one of the three options. Ignoring his career here would be unacceptable.
The only serious blemish on Spezza's time in Ottawa was asking for a trade. Spezza took over the captaincy for one season in 2013-14 and then asked GM Bryan Murray for a change of scenery. Murray sent him to Dallas for Nick Paul, Alex Chiasson, Alex Guptill and a second-rounder. All that's left of the Spezza deal a decade later is 2024 draft pick Blake Montgomery.
When you ask for a trade, fan bases tend to feel rejected. And it doesn't usually inspire an organization to later celebrate your career. But a lot has changed in a decade. Knowing what we know now about the Eugene Melnyk era in Ottawa, can anyone really blame a player for wanting out of... that?
As an aside, for the same reason, we'd also make a case that's it's time to let Dany Heatley up off the mat. It's interesting that some fans feel so differently about Heatley than they do about his two Ottawa linemates. Spezza doesn't catch nearly as much flak as Heatley, and Daniel Alfredsson gets a full pass. But all three members of the Pizza Line engineered their way out of Ottawa and it was due to the previous owner, either directly or indirectly.
So if we remove Spezza's trade request, erasing it off the list of cons, what's left? Pretty much nothing but pros and accomplishments. Some might argue that he isn't worthy because he didn't play his whole career here. But he did play here for more than half of a very long NHL career and Ottawa got his best years.
Spezza was a Senator for 11 years and still stands second in franchise history in goals, assists and points. Only Alfredsson has more. Even with a mid-career trade ten years ago, Spezza's games-played total still stands up extremely well at sixth all-time for the franchise (686).
Of the five men ahead of him in games played, three of them (Alfredsson, Chris Phillips, and Chris Neil) have had their numbers retired. And most fans would agree that Spezza probably had a greater impact on the club on the ice than Neil and Phillips. Spezza was a five-time NHL all star and tied for the league lead in scoring in the 2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
It may not go over particularly well with Drake Batherson, but Spezza's number 19 belongs in the rafters someday. One condition, though. We're going to need a soundtrack of that famous Spezza laugh, played on a loop, while his banner is being raised.
With Vladimir Tarasenko gone, Batherson could switch to 91. Maybe do a Ray Bourque-style unveiling on Spezza's retirement night...
Should Spezza be next? Should he be honoured at all? Who do you think the Senators should honour? Let us know at the Senators Roundtable. And be sure to bookmark The Hockey News Ottawa for more great Senators coverage.