The 19-year-old delivered, assisting on Martin Havlats game-winning goal in the third period and then adding an insurance marker of his own to keep the Senators hopes alive. With lofty expectations for the playoffs, they were eliminated in the second round by the Buffalo Sabres. He amassed 687 points in 686 games with Ottawa, making him the only point-per-game player who suited up in more than 500 games for the Senators franchise. I mean, thats how silky his hands are.. "[4] Graham Snyder, father of Dan Snyder, played a significant role in helping Heatley avoid prison time after the crash that killed his son. Spezzas confidence was on full display in Winnipeg that season, as he created another memorable highlight-reel moment that showed off his world-class skill and creativity. I'll start with the disclaimer: there is no concrete evidence (and there wouldn't be for this type of thing) but there are sources. "Hopefully, as the years go by, people forget the negative stuff and remember more of the positives when it comes to Heater. Heatley wanted to play his own game, his You're not supposed to be able to pull moves like that at 22. If you are an NHL fan and have a pulse, by now you have caught wind that Dany Heatley was sent to the San Jose Sharks for Jonathan Cheechoo and Milan Michalek. I think he was a good player before that, no question, says Alfredsson. In the following season, Heatley put up the worst full-season point totals of his career, registering only 26 goals and 64 points in 80 games. [56], The couple have four daughters. Then, as it turns out, Spezza was the guy who did the deed and now the two close friends are not close. Well, we were so good those first five games, he couldnt break us up. He later played for the Dallas Stars and Toronto Maple Leafs. Ottawa moved to the Stanley Cup Final against the Anaheim Ducks, but lost in five games in large part because the SpezzaHeatleyAlfredsson line failed to perform against Samuel Phlsson's checking line, backed by star defencemen Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger. If you are an NHL fan and have a pulse, by now you have caught wind that Dany Heatley was sent to the San Jose Sharks for Jonathan Cheechoo and Milan And while hes certainly connected to Torontos franchise these days, its undeniable that Spezzas most glorious years were spent in Ottawa. I just felt that we had to move him. Heatley made $8 million that year.[22]. But the teenager soon gave his first glimpse of greatness at the NHL level in the 2003 playoffs. [29] On December 11, 2014, Heatley was assigned to the Ducks' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Norfolk Admirals. [13] Spezza was also awarded the Les Cunningham Award as league MVP.[14]. I was coming in from Atlanta and I had something to prove. Heatley, who was also seriously injured but eventually made a full recovery, pled guilty to second-degree vehicular homicide and received probation. WebRumors speculated from basic reasons such as him being unhappy with head coach Cory Clouston, to Heatley sleeping with the fiancee (now wife) of teammate Jason Spezza. Having traded centres Radek Bonk and Todd White during the off-season, the Senators started Spezza on the first line between Dany Heatley and rookie Brandon Bochenski, who was Spezza's linemate in Binghamton. I thought that maybe he had one more year left in him, but Im happy for him. The line was consistently among the highest-scoring in the NHL after its formation in 200506, with the trio combining for a total of 296 points that season. Spezza made his debut with the Maple Leafs in the following game on October 5, against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Ian Mendes is a senior writer covering the Ottawa Senators and the NHL for The Athletic since 2021. Dany Heatley and Daniel Alfredsson reflect on Jason Spezzas time with Senators By Ian Mendes May 30, 2022 30 Long before they connected to become two However, due to the fallout from Heatley's crash shortly afterwards, EA switched the cover photo to Joe Sakic,[54] although many copies of the game were shipped with his photo on them. Spezza formed a dominant line with Dany Heatley and Daniel Alfredsson. They led the Senators to their first Finals appearance. And then the patience there to deke Jose (Theodore) again. Though he showed glimpses of his former abilities (registering seven points in one ten-game stretch)[27] by the 74-game mark of the season, he had recorded only 27 points. In the Sharks' fourth game of the season, their home opener against the Columbus Blue Jackets and Heatley's first game in front of the San Jose fans, Heatley capped a hat-trick with a penalty shot goal in the third period, bringing his season totals to four goals and five assists (nine points) in the first four games of the season. Heatley suffered a broken jaw, a concussion, a bruised lung and a bruised kidney, and he tore three ligaments in his right knee. I one-timed it and it was in the back of the net before anybody else in the rink knew what was going on, says Heatley. He scored 24 points in only 16 games before an errant puck struck his left eye and broke his orbital bone. However, during a game against the San Jose Sharks in April, an altercation with former teammate Marc-douard Vlasic dislocated Heatley's left shoulder, requiring surgery that ended his season. That wouldnt surprise me one bit, says Alfredsson. Spezza played for the Toronto Marlboros in 1997, recording 114 points in 54 games. Heatley himself sneaked back into Scotiabank Place, avoiding the cameras and throng of media awaiting some clarification regarding his desire to leave Ottawa. Chris Neil and Senators owner Eugene Melnyk, however, close friend and former line-mate Dany Heatley was not in attendance. And he was really feeling it that year. I remember being in junior high school, walking home one day and reading The Hockey News with his face on the cover. In the first round of the 2010 playoffs, the Senators lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins four games to two. Heatley signed with German club, the Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) on September 17, 2015. On May 19, 2007, he scored a goal and an assist as the Senators defeated the Buffalo Sabres in the Eastern Conference Final four games to one. [33], On July 1, 2019, as a free agent, Spezza signed a one-year, $700,000 contract for the 201920 season with the Toronto Maple Leafs,[34] the team he supported as a child. His teams went 0-6 in Game 7s over the course of his career, losing two win-or-go-home games with Ottawa (2003 and 2012), Dallas (2016 and 2019) and Toronto (2021 and 2022). At age one, Spezza won a baby contest and began his youth modelling career. So I think we were all hungry.. Apparently, one of the players on the Ottawa Senators had slept with Heatley's fiancee. [60], Spezza was on the cover of the NHL 2K8 video game for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox and the Xbox 360 video game consoles. My goodness."[35]. After a lengthy court process, Heatley was awarded $6.5 million from a judge in Calgary, Alberta on July 21, 2017. My next conversation with him will be away from the emotion of playoff time to see what we can do and what we have to do.. Is it a story that's built on leaky paper mache? It is also alleged that Stacey McAlpine made unauthorized withdrawals of more than $4 million from Heatley's bank accounts. It was just perfect, explains Heatley. As 200506 was the first year that the NHL implemented the shootout, Heatley became the second player to score in an NHL shootout, scoring against Leafs goalie Ed Belfour, after Alfredsson. Letang received a two-minute penalty for boarding and Spezza was expected to miss four-to-six weeks due to a consequent shoulder injury. [21], As Ottawa GM Murray began again to try to accommodate the trade demand, Heatley was still a member of the Senators as the team opened training camp on September 12, 2009. Spezza contributed to all of his team's goals for a career-high six-point game. Heatley was given MVP, Best Forward and All-Star team honours. [44], Heatley holds dual Canadian-German citizenship because his mother is German. At the end of the 2009-10 season, there were whispers that Spezza was the next one asking for a change of scenery. The ceremony took place at Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica and the reception was held across the street at the National Gallery of Canada. Winners received a poster of Spezza and a pair of tickets to an Ottawa Senators' home game. Spezza joined fellow NHL stars John Tavares, Tyler Seguin, Patrice Bergeron, Ryan Smyth and Matt Duchene in the Canadian line-up,[50] helping Canada defeat host team HC Davos to capture its first Spengler Cup title since 2007. [5], In his first game for the Senators, against the Toronto Maple Leafs on October 5, 2005, Heatley played with Jason Spezza and Brandon Bochenski, but when the Senators were down with five minutes to go, Daniel Alfredsson, who replaced Bochenski, scored the tying goal. [57][58][59] Spezza and his family resided in the west-end of Ottawa during his tenure with the Senators, but sold the home when he was traded to Dallas. Spezza's agent indicated that Spezza would retire if claimed by another team. Heatley recorded back-to-back 50-goal seasons with Spezza as his main playmaker and the dynamic duo also had a close relationship off the ice. In the playoffs, Spezza saved an elite performance for a pivotal Game 5 at Madison Square Garden. Spezza added 14 points in 10 playoff games. It was a good example of the communication we had, without even knowing it., The dynamic duo of Heatley and Spezza was flanked on the right side by Alfredsson, who says this line was almost a perfect mix.. [15] Wingers Alfredsson and Heatley both finished tied for fourth in league scoring with 103 points, while Spezza tallied 90 points despite an injury-shortened 68-game season. [citation needed], Coming off his lowest points total since his rookie season (excluding his shortened 31-game season in 200304), TSN reported that Heatley had filed a request for a trade on June 9, 2009, despite being only one year into a six-year contract extension signed in 2007. And you know, I wont be surprised if my grandkids are talking about him as a phenomenal general manager. That summer, Alfredsson bolted for Detroit leaving a massive void in the Senators dressing room. the San Antonio Rampage. Entering the 2001 NHL Entry Draft having been named the Top CHL Prospect,[8] Spezza was drafted second overall by the Ottawa Senators, after Ilya Kovalchuk was selected by the Atlanta Thrashers. ", "Thrashers trade Heatley to Senators for Hossa", "Ottawa trims Toronto as NHL inaugurates the shootout", "Heatley scores four in a row; Senators embarrass Leafs", "Blackhawks send Senators to second straight loss", "Montreal tops Ottawa as win streak continues", "Senators' coach: Heatley's best yet to come", "Bulletin: Senators and Heatley Reach Agreement", "Heatley out 46 weeks with shoulder injury", "Bulletin: Heatley asks Senators for trade", "Trading Heatley an enormous job for Sens' GM Murray", "Is it time for Sens fans to forgive Dany Heatley? With NHL play set to resume in 200506, Spezza returned to Ottawa. [39] Two and a half weeks later, Spezza would go on to record his eighth and final career hat trick in a 73 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on February 4. [21] The Sharks won the game 40, and Heatley had an assist. That's hard for a coach to accept. ", "Spezza headlines CHL Top Prospects game", "Montreal Canadiens at Ottawa Senators Box Score February 9, 2008", "200910 Ottawa Senators Roster and Statistics", "Spezza trade talk could signal change of guard", "Jason Spezza Out at Least 4 to 6 Weeks with Shoulder Injury", "Senators' Jason Spezza merits Hart Trophy consideration", "Sens' Spezza to have back surgery, out minimum two months", "Spezza back as Senators set to take on Penguins in game 3", "Jason Spezza named captain of Ottawa Senators", "Jason Spezza requests trade from Ottawa Senators", "Spezza 'just a piece' to Stars' championship puzzle", "Stars, C Spezza agree on four-year, $30 million extension - TSN.ca", "Why it's fitting that Stars' Jason Spezza reached the 1,000-game milestone in Montreal", "Maple Leafs sign Free Agent center Jason Spezza", "Spezza signs one-year contract with Maple Leafs", "Spezza welcomes shot at childhood dream with Leafs", "Maple Leafs' Jason Spezza working way back into Babcock's good graces", "Maple Leafs Sign Spezza to Contract Extension", "Jason Spezza records eighth career hat trick against Canucks - Sportsnet.ca", "Leafs' Spezza suspended 6 games for kneeing Jets' Pionk in head", "Bettman reduces length of Spezza's suspension to four games", "Jason Spezza announces retirement after 19 seasons, joins Maple Leafs' front office", "Big Kids with a Big Future Two talented 16-year-olds, Jay Bouwmeester and Jason Spezza, represented Canada at the world juniors", "2009 World Championship: Goal Scoring Leaders", "Ottawa Senators centre Jason Spezza will play for Canada at Spengler Cup", "Canada defeats HC Davos in Spengler Cup final", "Canada's National Men's Team wins gold medal at 2015 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship", "Canada wins first hockey worlds gold since 2007", "Sens @ School: Spelling with #19 Spezza", "This is Ottawa Senator Jason Spezza's Charity", "Spezza wedding attracts teammates and fans but no Heatley", "New baby for Jason Spezza and wife Jennifer", "Jason Spezza and his wife welcome their fourth child to the world Tuesday afternoon", "Jason Spezza is selling his $1.7M west-end mansion", "Jason Spezza Named Cover Athlete for NHL 2K8", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jason_Spezza&oldid=1133671186, Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in Switzerland, Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States, National Hockey League first-round draft picks, Articles with dead external links from April 2017, Articles with permanently dead external links, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in Canadian English, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Biographical information and career statistics from, This page was last edited on 14 January 2023, at 23:59. On December 30, 2009, Heatley was selected to play for Team Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympics. Canada captured a second-straight gold medal, defeating Sweden 53 in the final. [2] He went on to lead the Buffaloes to the bronze medal at the 1998 Air Canada Cup, where he finished as both Top Scorer and Tournament MVP. Check out the latest pictures, photos and images of Dany Heatley and Jason Spezza. Spezza immediately forged a connection with Heatley, who registered the only 50-goal campaigns in franchise history in 2005-06 and 2006-07. On March 29, 2014, Heatley was a healthy scratch for the first time in his career after being demoted to the fourth line for several games.[28]. The suit, filed in the Calgary Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta, alleges that the defendants lured Heatley into several real estate ventures across Canada and the United States with promises of huge returns that never materialized. Anaheim Ducks and Florida Panthers (20142015), By Associated Press, San Jose Mercury News. Heatley also added an assist for a game-high five points and was named the All-Star Game MVP. We had a really good combination of a pure goal scorer, a pure playmaker and then I contributed a little bit of everything, says Alfredsson. The other version is better - if you like tabloid news. In 201112, Spezza was named as a permanent alternate captain for the Senators. "[21], On September 12, 2009, Heatley was traded to the San Jose Sharks, along with a fifth-round pick in 2010, for Milan Michlek, Jonathan Cheechoo and a second-round pick in 2010. Flames staying patient with top prospect Pelletier, Leafs aim to frustrate expert agitator Tkachuk, Keefe keeps Matthews, Marner apart despite Saturday spark, Jason Spezza Dany Heatley Daniel Alfredsson Ottawa Senators. He earned a silver medal, losing to Russia in the gold medal game. He remained injury-free and finished fourth in league scoring, earning consideration for the Hart Memorial Trophy. Spezzas popularity with his ex-teammates is evident even forcing the longest-serving captain in Ottawa history to have a soft spot for the Maple Leafs this spring. Prior to the trade request, these concerns had been brought to the attention of management during the Senators' year-end meetings. On December 21, 2005, Heatley was chosen by Team Canada to participate in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin his first Olympic games. They are two of the best.". Many of his then-current and past teammates were in attendance, including Ray Emery, Antoine Vermette, Brendan Bell, Chris Phillips and Chris Neil, as well as Senators owner Eugene Melnyk. [27] Approaching unrestricted free agency, speculation began that his NHL career might be over and that he might move to Europe to continue his hockey career. If I was the owner of the Senators, I'd be calling my manager in and saying 'why don't guys want to play here anymore? When he made his World Junior debut in 2000, he became the third 16-year-old in history to make the team, after Wayne Gretzky and Eric Lindros. If you were expecting it at today's press conference, I have some land in Florida to sell you. [17] The 200809 season, however, was met with decreased production for Heatley and the top line as well as an 11th-place finish for the Senators in the Eastern Conference, well out of playoff contention. 1 offensive line. The player who was once thought to be too nonchalant and careless in his own zone was now trusted to be on the ice to protect the lead in the final minute of a playoff game. And then from that point on, we had unbelievable chemistry. It enables me to continue to follow my passion; learn and live new experiences within the game I love. The first is that Heatley slept with Spezza's wife. [49], As the 201213 NHL lockout continued, Spezza was named to Canada's roster for the 2012 Spengler Cup held in Davos, Switzerland. Team captain Daniel Alfredsson admitted days earlier that a scenario in which Heatley showed up in Ottawa as an unhappy camper would create a massive media headache for the rest of the team. In the 200203 season Heatley emerged as an NHL star, recording 41 goals and 89 points in 77 games and finishing ninth overall in league scoring. Playing in the American Hockey League (AHL) in 200405 due to the NHL lockout, he won the Les Cunningham Award as league MVP with the Binghamton Senators. Nice teammate. He was a prodigy right from the start, Heatley told The Athletic on Sunday. [30] On December 29, 2014, he was placed on waivers. But I dont think its anything beyond that. Another fan held up a sign reading "Even Yashin Thinks Youre A Jerk", a reference to former Senators' player Alexei Yashin who left the team amid controversy in 2001. Heatley made his senior international debut with Team Canada at the 2002 World Championships, after his rookie season with the Atlanta Thrashers. Daniel "Dany" James Heatley (born January 21, 1981) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger. He signed his first professional contract with the Senators, a multi-year deal, on September 5, 2001.[10]. On June 8, 2010, his It feels like that number should be 150, laughed Heatley when told about the statistic. [7], Heatley made a spectacular start with his new team, registering points in the first 22 games of the 200506 season, breaking Marin Hossa's previous franchise record of 13 consecutive games. At the end of the day, who knows if these sources are any better than Eklund's back alley tipsters, but it's a rumor that I had previously heard, saw it makes it's way around forums, and now saw it again today in a separate blog. Senators fans had fun coming up with a name for their new No. Updated: December 02, 2010 Jason Rocco Anthony Spezza (born June 13, 1983) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre. [31] On February 28, 2015, Heatley was traded to the Florida Panthers along with a 2016 third-round draft choice for Tom Fleischmann.