Jason Spezza RUMORS & NEWS

Ottawa Sun "Jason Spezza will be the centre of attention Sunday night. Trailing 2-0 in their Round 2 series to the Pittsburgh Penguins as it shifts to Scotiabank Place for Game 3, the Senators are buoyed by the return of their top centre to the lineup for the first time since Jan. 27th. Gone nearly four..." May 19

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "The Penguins will have one extra problem to deal with tonight: Ottawa center Jason Spezza is expected back for Game 3. Spezza held court at his locker Saturday afternoon to share the news that has been much anticipated in these parts. "I feel good," said Spezza. "It's gotten better and better..." May 19

Ottawa Sun "It wasn't just the earthquake shifting the ground around Ottawa. There's a strong possibility Senators' centre Jason Spezza could return to the lineup for Game 3 of the club's playoff series Sunday night at Scotiabank Place against the Penguins. Coach Paul MacLean told reporters Spezza is..." May 17

Ottawa Citizen "The Ottawa Senators are in desperate need of Jason Spezza’s offensive touch. Now. But the way coach Paul MacLean was talking Wednesday afternoon, Spezza isn’t ready to return to the lineup for Game 2 of the series against the Pittsburgh Penguins here Friday. At least not yet. “I think..." May 16

Ottawa Sun "The Senators don't need to put an SOS out just yet. Trailing their Round 2 series to the Pittsburgh Penguins after a 4-1 loss in Game 1, the question whispered in the bowels of the Consol Energy Center Wednesday was whether Jason Spezza will be parachuted in to join this series. The club's..." May 16

Ottawa Citizen "As Jason Spezza held court in front of his locker stall Sunday, wearing an ear-to-ear grin after his first practice with his Ottawa Senators teammates in 15 weeks, he was trying his best to curb lofty expectations. Spezza is making no promises about when — or even if — he’ll return to the..." May 13

NHL.com "It has been a long time coming, but Jason Spezza hit the ice today for practice with the Sens. It's his first appearance on the ice alongside his teammates since his last game on January 27 against the Pittsburgh Penguins, his last game prior to undergoing back surgery on February 1. The team..." May 12

Ottawa Citizen "Ottawa’s opponent for the next round of the playoffs could be determined as early as Saturday night, when the Pittsburgh Penguins, with a 3-2 lead, try to finish off the New York Islanders. But there’s a more important question on the mind of Ottawa’s fans: Will Jason Spezza return for the..." May 10

Ottawa Sun "The Senators need one more comeback to complete the hat trick -- and to become complete. They need Jason Spezza in the lineup, and while he's nowhere near that point just yet, there has been some movement. Coach Paul MacLean confirmed whispers that his star centre -- out since back surgery..." April 27

Ottawa Sun "The Senators are no longer counting on Jason Spezza getting back this season. Senators GM Bryan Murray told CTV Ottawa before Thursday's visit by the New York Rangers that the back surgery the club's top centre had may not allow him to return this year "(Erik) Karlsson and (Spezza) are real..." March 29

Ottawa Citizen "An RDS report late Wednesday suggested that injured Ottawa Senators Jason Spezza could need more time than expected to return from his back disc surgery and could still be out for another month, but Senators coach Paul MacLean says he was unaware of anything new development in his recovery. “I..." March 14

Ottawa Sun "Milan Michalek is trying not to put any pressure on himself. He's getting enough from everybody in the media. The Senators winger doesn't have to be told he hasn't scored in five games as the club prepares to host the Winnipeg Jets Saturday at Scotiabank Place. With two goals in the..." February 09

Ottawa Sun "Through eight games this season, the Senators look quite good with a record of 5-2-1. Craig Anderson is playing like a goaltender possessed, Kyle Turris looks to have taken his game to another level and Erik Karlsson is clearly the best defenceman in the game right now. With Jason Spezza..." February 03

Ottawa Citizen "At first glance, the loss of Jason Spezza would appear to be a massive blow to the Ottawa Senators. Spezza, who was scheduled to undergo surgery Friday for a herniated disc in his back, finished fourth in league scoring last season (84 points in 80 games) and even earned a mention or two in..." February 02

Silver Seven "Now that we are settling in to this lockout depression mode, it is hard to think or write about anything else. With yesterday's big news that Senators star centre Jason Spezza is heading to the Swiss league to ply his trade during the lockout, I cannot help but be a little anxious. Jason is..." September 20

Silver Seven "According to a release on their team website (and pointed out by The 6th Sens' SteffeG), Ottawa Senators star centre Jason Anthony Rocco Spezza, aka "lebende Legende des Eishockeysports" (translated: living legend of hockey) has signed with the Rapperswil-Jona Lakers of Switzerland's top pro..." September 19

Ottawa Citizen "Now that the current captain of the Ottawa Senators is gone from the building, alone with his thoughts on whether he'll return to the Scotiabank Place stage, it's time to turn our attention to the next captain. Jason Spezza is a great subject, if only because the mere mention of his name often..." April 30

Ottawa Sun "Jason Spezza played with heart this season, but he didn't get enough votes for the Hart Trophy. The Senators centre wasn't one of the three finalists for the trophy as the league's MVP in voting done by the Professional Hockey Writers Association." April 28

Ottawa Sun "Paul MacLean was tight-lipped Thursday morning. He's not giving away any plans for tonight's lineup. The Senators coach told reporters following the club's optional skate at Madison Square Garden he's keeping all his "options open" for his lineup for Game 7. Neither Zenon Konopka nor Matt..." April 26

Ottawa Sun "All is good within the Senators family — including the relationship between the coach and his best offensive player. Paul MacLean had Jason Spezza stapled to the bench for part of the third period with Ottawa trying to come from behind against the Rangers Monday and, while it wasn't the first..." April 25

Ottawa Sun "The heat-of-the-battle moment captured on TV showed Paul MacLean waving a sheet of paper while yelling into the ear of his best offensive player. But never once did Jason Spezza consider telling his coach to shove it. "It was more of a reminder that he'd like me to shoot the puck a little..." April 21

New York Post "Marc Staal is no stranger to hits to the head. So when he put a lick on Jason Spezza in Wednesday night's 3-2 overtime loss to the Senators in Game 4, it was something to notice. With 2:18 left in the second period, Spezza came barreling into the offensive zone and Staal got his hands up,..." April 19

Ottawa Citizen "Those wild and crazy, playoff-bound Senators returned to Ottawa on Tuesday, unlikely regular season heroes. Captain Daniel Alfredsson was being cheered as soon as his face appeared on the scoreboard screen, pre-game. An "Alfie!" chant broke with 11 minutes to go in each period — get it, No. 11..." April 04

Ottawa Sun "Fact is, any goal the Senators score these days is cause for celebration. But when Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson teamed up for one in Thursday's practice — then leapt into each other's arms with big grins on their faces — there was also a sense of relief at Scotiabank Place. The return..." March 23

Ottawa Sun "Jason Spezza played Saturday's game against Buffalo with a heavy heart. Only hours earlier, the Senators centre learned of the "freak accident" which killed Canadian skier Nik Zoricic at a skicross World Cup event in Switzerland. The 29-year-old Zoricic was one of his "best buddies," Spezza..." March 13

Ottawa Sun "Seven weeks from the end of the season, Jason Spezza must be considered a candidate for the Hart Trophy. At the very least, he has worked himself into the conversation. Through the first six games of a losing streak that ran from the final days of January into the beginning of February and..." February 17

Ottawa Sun "It's no coincidence that both Jason Spezza and the Senators entered Tuesday in six-game slumps. As one goes, so goes the other. I know it, you know it, Spezza knows it. "I haven't scored, we haven't won, I know I have to produce for us to win," Spezza said a few hours before facing the Blues..." February 08

Ottawa Sun "Jason Spezza has some advice for all those Senators' faithful poised to hit the panic button. "We've got to take a deep breath and just relax," said the club's alternate captain. Coming off a disgraceful 5-0 beating at the hands of the arch-rival Toronto Maple Leafs Saturday at Scotiabank..." February 06

Ottawa Citizen "Jason Spezza said later one of his main goals was to simply not embarrass himself. Yeah, right. The Ottawa Senators centre ended up being the star of the team's annual skills competition in front of roughly 13,400 fans at Scotiabank Place Wednesday afternoon. His prowess allowed Team..." December 29

Ottawa Sun "Go figure — a rookie mistake cost the Senators Wednesday night. It was obvious that David Rundblad was trying to do too much in his first game back after two in the pressbox. When last we saw Rundblad, wasn't he a Swede? Against the Rangers, especially in the first period, he was more of a..." November 10

Ottawa Sun "As Jason Spezza goes these days, so go the Senators. Trying to break a three-game losing skid, the Senators close out a three-game homestand Wednesday at against the New York Rangers before opening a stretch that will see Ottawa play nine of its next 10 games on the road. It's no coincidence..." November 09

Ottawa Sun "Win, lose or draw, Jason Spezza wants to be counted on in the faceoff circle. The Senators top centre, who leads the club in scoring, can add "faceoff specialist" to an already impressive resume. And that resume should result in a short distance trip to this year's all-star game being held..." November 06

Ottawa Citizen "It's a fair bet that no one who scratched out pre-season predictions would have placed the Ottawa Senators and Boston Bruins where they are today. The Senators, a near unanimous pick to finish in one of the bottom three slots of the Eastern Conference, are in fourth and on a six-game winning..." November 01

Ottawa Sun "Wasn't it just about a week ago that people were saying the Senators need more from Jason Spezza? Well, they're sure getting it now. Spezza had three more points Saturday night — including the game-tying goal with 36 seconds left and help on the winner five ticks from the final buzzer — to..." October 23

Ottawa Sun "The Senators had a day off to lick their wounds after serving up a Thanksgiving turkey Saturday in Toronto. As they prepare to welcome the original Senators team from 1992-93 at Tuesday's home opener against the Minnesota Wild at Scotiabank Place, Ottawa players are trying to come up with..." October 10

Ottawa Sun "The 'A' on Jason Spezza's jersey is there to stay. While he wore the letter after Bryan Murray's selloff last spring, this time it's here to stay — coach Paul MacLean has named the 28-year-old Spezza an alternate captain. While he's always been willing to take a leadership role, Spezza will..." October 03

Ottawa Citizen ""Paul has worked us real hard," the Senators' No. 1 centre, Jason Spezza, said Thursday following yet another long day at the rink that included a practice, a 30-minute scrimmage and an off-ice workout. "There has been a lot of skating. It has been work, but good work. "I think if you put the..." September 23

Toronto Star "Jason Spezza, the Mississauga-bred centre for the Ottawa Senators, walked into a dressing room recently. Before he sat down, he hopped over the equipment bag belonging to Mike Cammalleri, the Montreal Canadiens forward, and settled into a spot across from Jeff Skinner, the NHL rookie of the year,..." August 09

Ottawa Sun "Jason Spezza is keeping expectations low but the work ethic high for the Senators. Speaking to Sportsnet Radio The Fan 590 in Toronto on Friday, the Senators centre said he believes the club will work hard, but admitted there's going to be some growing pains as part of the next step in a major..." August 06

Edmonton Journal "Make the case that head coach Ken Hitchcock owes Jason Spezza the generous ice time afforded him in the opening game of the world hockey championship and the name on the back of the No. 19 jersey becomes more important than the crest on the front. That's clearly not the way Team Canada conducts..." May 01

Ottawa Sun "Jason Spezza is going to get his chance to take on the world. The Senators centre hasn't formally been invited to play for Team Canada, but GM David Nonis is expected to make a phone call in the next couple of days to invite Spezza to represent his country this month in Slovakia. Spezza, who..." April 07

Ottawa Citizen "In their search for inspiration to take into what will be a long summer, the Ottawa Senators found some on Tuesday night in a 5-2 win over the struggling, but still playoff-bound, Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers just can't seem to win in Ottawa. Counting Tuesday's loss, the Flyers have lost..." April 06

Ottawa Citizen "Ray Emery's latest success story hasn't gone unnoticed by longtime friend Jason Spezza. "He's playing great, he's excited, he's feeling fresh and he's pretty focused right now," the Ottawa Senators centre said Saturday. For those who haven't noticed, Emery, the former Senators goaltender,..." April 03

Ottawa Citizen "Jason Spezza is waiting for the phone to ring. He feels fine physically, so if he gets the call, he'll gladly join Team Canada for the world hockey championships in Slovakia. He could be one of as many as six Ottawa Senators to play for their respective countries this spring. Milan..." March 31

Ottawa Citizen "Jason Spezza took a licking, but kept on ticking. After leaving the game temporarily following an elbow to the head late in the second period, Spezza emerged as the hero in overtime, putting the finishing touches on the Ottawa Senators' wildly entertaining, unpredictable, come-from-behind 3-2..." March 20

Ottawa Citizen "For Jason Spezza, a chance to play for Canada at next month's world championships isn't about finding a silver lining in an otherwise dismal season. He's aiming higher than that. "For me, the gold medal is the motivation," Spezza said Wednesday, musing about the possibility of playing at the..." March 17

Ottawa Sun "Jason Spezza is taking the 'A' on his jersey to heart. As the clock ticks down on a season of struggle for the Senators, the club's top centre is trying to find ways contribute, trying to find ways to make a difference and trying to find ways to lead by example. The last couple of months..." March 10