Steven Ellis/The Hockey News
Jason Spezza was born to lead. And now, after 19 seasons and 1,248 NHL games with Ottawa, Dallas and Toronto, he’s set for a fruitful front-office career.
After joining the Pittsburgh Penguins as an assistant GM in June 2023, Spezza further established himself as a key cog in the Pens’ system by taking on the role of GM of the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins ahead of 2024-25. “It’s been great,” he said. “It’s fun to watch the young players we have and try to make sure we’re getting the most out of them. The team’s gotten off to a good start, which is obviously enjoyable to watch your team win games. Everything we’re doing down there is to get these guys ready to come up and be part of the Penguins.
“Obviously, we’re going through a bit of a transition phase right now with the Penguins, and we need to make sure the young guys are a priority down there and that they’re getting what they need. So, it’s a big job and one that I’m excited to do.”
In Wilkes-Barre, Spezza has been tasked with prepping the next wave of Penguins – such as upstarts Owen Pickering and Rutger McGroarty – for NHL play while icing a winning mix of prospects and veterans under new coach Kirk MacDonald. “You have to grow your own guys,” Spezza said. “We’re definitely a young team, so you feel the team’s going to grow throughout the year. But having key veterans like Jimmy Huntington, Bokondji Imama, Danny Renouf, these guys are going to be really important for the culture and that you surround them with the right guys.”
After retiring from the NHL at the end of 2021-22 with 363 goals and 995 points, Spezza was a sought-after commodity in front offices across the league, a reality that eased the weight of his decision to step away from the playing side of the game. “It just kind of felt right for me,” Spezza said. “I was lucky that I had multiple opportunities with managers around the league that had reached out to me as I was kind of aging out of the league. They wanted me to explore working for them, so I felt good about the fact that I was going to have something to fall back on once I was done.”
Spezza specifically praises Kyle Dubas. Dubas was GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs when he first hired Spezza, and when Dubas became the Penguins’ president of hockey operations, Spezza followed him to Pittsburgh. “First of all, he’s just a great person,” Spezza said. “And I think that’s probably my initial draw to Kyle as a player and manager. We didn’t know each other that well, but after working together for the first year in Toronto, I knew this was a guy that I just enjoyed being around.
“I don’t know if people realize how much there is that goes on behind the scenes and how much you have to do as a manager. And I think that Kyle’s been great in terms of helping me progress and learn as I go.”
Though he had a decorated playing career that included a gold medal and two silvers at the World Championship, Spezza is still chasing that elusive Stanley Cup, albeit with a different platform. “When I look back at things, I have regrets about not winning a Stanley Cup with some of those Ottawa teams,” Spezza said. “We had great teams but also great joy in the friendships that I made. I was fortunate that for most of my career, I was on a playoff team that had a chance. It was disappointing to not win a Stanley Cup, and I think that’s what drives me now, but I would honestly say I try not to reflect too much. I just try to kind of move forward. I’m enjoying this, and it’s almost like a second life now to try to build a career as a manager and to do well at this job.”
This article appeared in the Nov. 25, 2024, World Junior Championship issue of The Hockey News. In this edition, we feature wall-to-wall coverage of the 2025 World Junior Championship, complete with previews of all 10 teams plus some of the most prominent players involved. Also in this issue, we shine the spotlight on San Jose’s Tyler Toffoli, Philadelphia’s Travis Konecny and a team from Haida Gwaii that really goes the extra mile.
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