Jason Spezza: Difference between revisions
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| nickname = Spezz |
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| nickname = Spetz., Spezz dispenser, Spezz{{fact|article|date=april 2007}}, Pizza, Spoozie |
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| nationality = CAN |
| nationality = CAN |
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| birth_date = {{birth date |
| birth_date = {{birth date|1983|06|13}} |
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| birth_place = [[Mississauga]], [[Ontario|ON]] [[Canada|CAN]] |
| birth_place = [[Mississauga]], [[Ontario|ON]] [[Canada|CAN]] |
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| draft = 2<sup>nd</sup> overall |
| draft = 2<sup>nd</sup> overall |
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| career_start = 2002 |
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'''Jason Anthony Rocco Spezza''' (born [[June 13]], [[1983]] in [[Mississauga, Ontario|Mississauga]], [[Ontario]], [[Canada]]) is a professional [[ice hockey]] player, currently playing centre for the [[Ottawa Senators]] of the [[National Hockey League]]. |
'''Jason Anthony Rocco Spezza''' (born [[June 13]], [[1983]] in [[Mississauga, Ontario|Mississauga]], [[Ontario]], [[Canada]]) is a professional [[ice hockey]] player, currently playing centre for the [[Ottawa Senators]] of the [[National Hockey League]]. |
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Revision as of 00:00, 6 May 2007
| Jason Spezza | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
June 13, 1983 Mississauga, ON CAN | ||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) | ||
| Weight | 213 lb (97 kg; 15 st 3 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Shoots | Right | ||
| NHL team | Ottawa Senators | ||
| NHL draft |
2nd overall, 2001 Ottawa Senators | ||
| Playing career | 2002–present | ||
Jason Anthony Rocco Spezza (born June 13, 1983 in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada) is a professional ice hockey player, currently playing centre for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League.
Playing career
Pre-NHL career
Previous to turning pro, in 1999 Spezza joined the elite company of Wayne Gretzky and Eric Lindros as being only the 3rd player to represent Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championships as a 16-year old. This feat was also accomplished the same year by Jay Bouwmeester, and was repeated by Sidney Crosby in 2004.
Spezza played in the Ontario Hockey League for the Brampton Battalion in the team's opening season 1998-1999, despite being a year too young to enter the draft normally, as he was already living in the city. He was drafted 2nd overall in 2001 after Ilya Kovalchuk. This pick had originally belonged to the New York Islanders, but had been traded to Ottawa along with Zdeno Chara and Bill Muckalt for Alexei Yashin.
Spezza was a highly regarded prospect, but took some time to move to the NHL, playing with the Senators AHL affiliate, the Binghamton Senators, in Binghamton, New York. He was called up on a few occasions. During one stint with Ottawa he helped the team win critical games in the 2003 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He played a full season with the Senators in 2003-2004, and had a solid year.
During the NHL lockout, Spezza returned to the AHL and, with 117 points, was the highest scorer in the league by a considerable margin, and the first to record so many points in several years. He was awarded the Les Cunningham Award as the league's Most Valuable Player. With centres Radek Bonk and Todd White traded during the off season, Spezza began the 2005 season as Ottawa's first line centre, playing between Dany Heatley and rookie Brandon Bochenski, Spezza's linemate in Binghamton. After Bochenski was sent down to the AHL, Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson took his place beside Spezza and Heatley. Other players who play on a line with Spezza and Heatley are Chris Kelly, and occasionally Antoine Vermette.
Recent NHL years
On October 27, 2005, he scored one of the most skilled goals of the year[1] He was a major leader in points per game and actually led the league in scoring for a short period of time until he was hampered by many different injuries, including a pulled back muscle. Spezza was a reserve for Team Canada at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, but did not actually play. During the 2006 summer, he had a successful back surgery and was on pace for about 100 points in the 2006/07 season, before getting struck with an injury. That year during the regular season he managed a career high 34 goals, however three points shy of tieing his old record of 90.
Trivia
- Jason's parents are Rino and Donna Spezza. He also has twin siblings, sister Michelle, and brother Matthew, who is a goaltender working his way up to the professional level.
- His favourite cities to visit while on the road are New York and San Fransisco.[1]
- He is best friends with Ray Emery, who is also a member of the Ottawa Senators. They were actually roommates back when they played for the Binghamton Senators (Ottawa's AHL affiliate).
- Jason's hobbies include watching movies and playing video games on his huge flat screen TV that sits in his living room at his Kanata home. [2]
- His favourite movies are "The Usual Suspects" and "Bridget Jones Diary". [3]
- When he was 5, he appeared in a Minute Maid commercial.[4]
- He is one of a select few players that use Sherwood (wooden) sticks in the NHL.
- His favourite vacation spot is Cancun, Mexico.[5]
![[4]](http://www.hockeycanada.ca/multimedia/e/teams/mens/olympics/2006/i/profiles/spezza.jpg){kind=link}
Career statistics
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1998-99 | Brampton Battalion | OHL | 67 | 22 | 49 | 71 | 18 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1999-2000 | Mississauga Ice Dogs | OHL | 52 | 24 | 37 | 61 | 33 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2000-01 | Mississauga Ice Dogs | OHL | 15 | 7 | 23 | 30 | 11 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2000-01 | Windsor Spitfires | OHL | 41 | 36 | 50 | 86 | 32 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 10 | ||
| 2001-02 | Windsor Spitfires | OHL | 27 | 19 | 26 | 45 | 16 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2001-02 | Belleville Bulls | OHL | 26 | 23 | 37 | 60 | 26 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 18 | ||
| 2001-02 | Grand Rapids Griffins | AHL | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 2002-03 | Binghamton Senators | AHL | 43 | 22 | 32 | 54 | 71 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 2002-03 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 33 | 7 | 14 | 21 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2003-04 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 78 | 22 | 33 | 55 | 71 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2004-05 | Binghamton Senators | AHL | 80 | 32 | 85 | 117 | 50 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | ||
| 2005-06 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 68 | 19 | 71 | 90 | 33 | 10 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 2 | ||
| 2006-07 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 67 | 34 | 53 | 87 | 45 | |||||||
| NHL Totals | 246 | 82 | 171 | 253 | 157 | 16 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 4 | ||||
International play
- Bronze medal at 2000 Under-20 World Championships
- Bronze medal at 2001 Under-20 World Championships
- Silver medal at 2002 Under-20 World Championships
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Canada | U20 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 2001 | Canada | U20 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 2 |
| 2002 | Canada | U20 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| International Totals | 21 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 12 | ||
Awards
- 1998-99: OHL First All-Star Team
- 2000-01: CHL Top Draft Prospect
- 2000-01: OHL Third All-Star Team
- 2001-02: OHL Third All-Star Team
- 2002-03: AHL All-Rookie Team
- 2004-05: AHL Les Cunningham Award (MVP)
- 2004-05: AHL First All-Star Team
- 2004-05: AHL John B. Sollenberger Trophy (Leading scorer)
Notes
- ^ USA Today game summary, accessed 2006-09-12
See also
External links
- 1983 births
- Belleville Bulls alumni
- Binghamton Senators players
- Brampton Battalion alumni
- Canadian ice hockey centres
- Canadians of Italian descent
- Grand Rapids Griffins players
- Ice hockey personnel from Ontario
- Living people
- Mississauga IceDogs alumni
- National Hockey League first round draft picks
- Ontario Hockey League first round draft picks
- Ottawa Senators draft picks
- Ottawa Senators players
- People from Mississauga
- Windsor Spitfires alumni