The Toronto Maple Leafs Special Assistant to the GM was playfully caught on camera cramming in information onto a thick pad of paper.
Jason Spezza always fancied himself as a student of the game.
At the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, the recently retired member of the Toronto Maple Leafs looked like he was cramming for an exam while scouting one of the games at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup on Wednesday.
On May 29, the 19-year NHL veteran announced his retirement from the game. At the same time he was announced as the Maple Leafs’ Special Assistant to general manager Kyle Dubas.
The details of what Spezza was going to do were left with a broad interpretation, but Dubas did see Spezza as someone who could excel in player development and evaluation.
So it was no surprise to see Spezza in Red Deer, Alberta, attending the annual under-18 men’s tournament. And as other general managers like Kevin Cheveldayoff (Winnipeg Jets) and Ron Hextall (Pittsburgh Penguins) watched on casually, there was Spezza writing notes and flipping pages as if he were up against a clock.
Some of the players at this tournament will be eligible for the 2023 NHL Draft and Spezza’s notes could play a role in helping head Director of Amateur Scouting Wes Clark (who was sitting next to Spezza) and Dubas decide on who the next crop of Toronto prospects will be.
“Remember, he doesn’t know any of these players,” TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button said of Spezza’s scouting technique.
The Hlinka Gretzky Cup wraps up on Saturday with the bronze and goal medal games. The rescheduled 2022 World Juniors follows later this month in Edmonton.
Further Reading
Why the Maple Leafs Don’t Need to Force a Trade to Become Salary Cap Compliant
Calle Jarnkrok’s Contract Signals Return of Maple Leafs’ Pre-Pandemic Salary Cap Strategy
It’s Way Too Early to Worry About Auston Matthews’ Future with the Maple Leafs