FAVORITE SPORT (other than hockey): Lacrosse
HOBBIES: Video games and watching movies
FAVORITE COLOR: Blue
SCHOOL: Holy Names, Windsor, Ont
VEHICLE: White Jeep TJ
FAVORITE CEREAL: Fruit Loops
PRE-GAME DRINK: Cappucino
HATES: Math
LOVES: Talking
LITTLE KNOWN FACT: Has a Mario Lemieux poster in his locker
CHARITIES: Ronald McDonald House, Easter Seals, Lupus Foundation
FAVORITE PLAYER: Mario Lemieux
FAVORITE TEAM: Toronto Maple Leafs
LAST YEAR'S TEAM: Windsor Spitfires
NHL STATUS: Drafted 2nd Overall, 2001 Ottawa Senators
Summary of 2000-01 Season:
Is rated 1st among North American prospects on Central Scouting's final rankings ... Captained Team Cherry at the 2001 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in Calgary ... Attended the summer evaluation and selection camps for Canada's national junior team ... Captured a Bronze medal with Canada at the 2001 World Junior Championships in Russia ...
He finished third in team scoring (3-2-5 in 7GP) and was named to the tournament's All-Star Team ... Captained the Ice Dogs for the beginning of the season ...Traded to Windsor...Is an alternate captain with Windsor ...
Recorded one of the longest scoring streaks of the season with 23 points (7-16-23) in 11 games from Sept. 22-Oct. 20 ... Recorded hat tricks in back-to-back games (Dec. 1 and Dec. 2) ... Named OHL Player of the Week for the period ending Dec. 3 (6-2-8 in 3GP) ...
Performed for the OHL Western Conference Team in the 2001 CHL All-Star Cup in Guelph ... Posted a six-point game, including his second hat trick of the season on Feb. 11 vs. London (3-3-6) ... Named OHL Player of the Week for the period ending Feb. 11 (5-4-9 in 3GP) ... posted an 11-game scoring streak with 26 points (13-13-26) from Jan. 25 to Feb. 18 ... Among the leaders in the league in scoring (39-63-102).
Achievements:
Named to 1998-1999 OHL All-Rookie Team ... Brampton's top scorer in their 1st OHL season ... Played in 1999 OHL All-Star Game as a 15 year old ... Led his team in both assists and points in 1998-1999 ... Finished third among all OHL rookies in scoring in 1998-1999 ... Was voted the OHL's Western Conference third smartest player and third best stick handler in the coaches poll ... Mississauga's 1st round selection, 1st overall, in 1999 OHL Draft.
Won bronze medal with Canada's National Junior Team at 2000 and 2001 World Junior Hockey Championship ... Second youngest player to play for Canada's NJT, behind only Jay Bouwmeester, a teammate in 2000.
Drafted by the Ottawa Senators, 2nd overall, from a deal that brought Alexei Yashin to Long Island in exchange for the #2 pick, Zdeno Chara and Bill Muckalt.
Central Scouting Report:
He is a big, strong player with good speed once in full stride ... An excellent playmaker with crisp, accurate passing skills and an outstanding shot with a quick release ... He anticipates well and is excellent at the give-and-go type plays ... Strong along the boards, physical play does not appear to bother him or throw him off his game ... He is unselfish and always patient, a very mature individual ... Extremely talented and often shows ability beyond his years.
Hockey facts:
Traded to Windsor Spitfires by Mississauga Icedogs for four players and two draft picks on November 15, 2000 ... Mississauga's 1st round pick, 1st overall in the 1999 OHL Priority Draft ... Played for Brampton Battalion and coach Stan Butler as a 15 year old in 1997-98 ... Drafted by the Ottawa Senators, 2nd overall.
Q. How do you feel about being the Senators' new poster boy?
A. (Laughs) It's nothing new for me. You kind of get used to it. I don't really worry about it. I know it comes along with the game and it's part of the territory. I just have to stay focused and keep working.
Q. What was it like walking into an NHL dressing room for real for the first time?
A. It's not Windsor Arena! (laughs) It's a little bigger, but it's something I expected and it's great. Obviously, it's an honour just to be here but you have to look past that. You look at all the great players that have done it. Guys like Marty Havlat have looked past it and they've succeeded.
Q. You've played hockey all your life. How long have you dreamed of this day?
A. Ever since I watched my first hockey game, I fell in love with the game. I was a Leaf and Red Wings fan. I liked Steve Yzerman. Mario Lemieux is my favourite player, but Steve Yzerman was someone I always liked, so I liked the Red Wings. But the Leafs were always my favourite team -- although that's changed (laughs).
Q. What is it that you like about Mario?
A. Just the way he plays, I think it speaks for itself. He's fought through so much adversity, and he's so smooth and composed -- guys take runs at him and he doesn't really take the stupid penalty. He knows how to really play within his limits.
Q. Is he the kind of guy you would pattern yourself after?
A. I don't think you pattern yourself after one particular player. You look at all the great players in the game today, and you try and take little bits from them. Mario is someone you can take so much from -- if you can do what he does, that's pretty good. Also, guys like Yashin that are big, rangy centremen. Those guys are great hockey players. And (Mike) Modano and (Jason) Allison ... you can take every little bit from one of them.
Q. There are people who are going to look at the trade that was made, and say you have to replace Alexei Yashin. Is that fair?
A. Alexei Yashin is a great hockey player and he puts up some huge numbers. You can't compare yourself to someone who's already established in the league. I know that I have to work hard, but I'm not going to put extra pressure on myself because I was traded for such a great player.
Q. You weren't in Ottawa the day you were drafted, but there was a general feeling that everybody was happy. That we've got this Jason Spezza coming here and everyone was excited. How does that make you feel to know the fans are excited to come and see you play?
A. It's great, it's very reassuring that they're happy with the deal. I have a lot of people to prove wrong. My goal was to go first overall and that didn't happen. I'm just happy I got the chance to go to Ottawa and I'm going to make the most of it. I have a lot of hard work ahead of me.
Q. You've been in the spotlight since you were 16 years old. What's it been like having every little bit of your game picked apart by people for so long?
A. You get used to it. You just don't worry about it. I just go out and play my game ... I know what I have to improve on and what I have to work on. You can't really listen to what the media says and what other people say.
Q. You've got an agent (Bobby Orr) who's obviously been down this road before. Does he give you advice about what's coming?
A. Obviously, he helps out. He's been through it and he can guide me along. But a lot of it has to be done yourself and he tells me that. You have to be able to sacrifice your body in the summer and work as hard as you can. It's the only way you can make it.
Q. What's it like to have a legend like Bobby Orr as an agent?
A. I don't think I have a true feeling for how great he is. I have so much respect for him. I watch him on tapes and it's just ridiculous how good he was compared to the guys he was playing against. He's a great guy and you don't even know it's Bobby Orr, the way he talks to you.
Q. Any thoughts about what number you'd like to wear in Ottawa?
A. I've worn No. 9 all my life, but Martin Havlat already has that. It doesn't mean anything. I had to change to 18 at the end of last season after I went to Windsor. It doesn't matter. It's the player who makes the number. That's something I've always firmly believed.
Following in the steps of Mario Lemieux, Eric Lindros, and yes, even Alexandre Daigle, Jason Spezza has been dubbed the "Next One" by many for a number of years now, dating back to his days with the Brampton Battalion as a 15 year-old.
Now with his third junior club in three years, the pressure is on the 6-3, 195-pound center to not only be a great player but to be one of the best.
Being under the microscope to the extent Spezza has experienced has definitely taken its toll. Although ranked by Central Scouting Services as the top player in North America recently, many of hockey's insiders will tell you that Jason Spezza won't be the top pick in this year's draft. In fact, they'll tell you that Spezza won't even break the top 5.
And much of the reason for the waning interest in Jason Spezza's value is merited.
In the 2001 OHL playoffs, facing the Plymouth Whalers, Spezza was overshadowed by the dominating performance of another of this year's top draft prospects, Stephen Weiss. The Spezza-led Spitfires bowed out quickly while the Weiss-led Whalers made it all the way to the finals.
Another reason for concern is Spezza's maturity level. Granted, there isn't a lot of maturity to be expected from a 17 year-old, but Spezza's recent string of clashes with coaches and management on a junior level have many NHL managers recalling Eric Lindros' name to mind. A "me first" attitude can be cause for serious concern when it comes to selecting a player you would like to build your team around.
The fact is, though, that Jason Spezza is an exceptionally talented hockey player. And when draft day arrives most teams will tell you that if there is one common philosophy when it comes to choosing a player, you make sure you tae the best player available.
Aside from his top play-making skills, Spezza has one of the best wrist shots in recent memory. Spezza is at his best in traffic, and can pick a corner of the net and hit it with pinpoint accuracy. Although Spezza doesn’t have the breakaway speed that this year's Russian contingent has, he makes up for it with creativity and anticipation. With experience, Spezza should be able to hone his skating skills and develop them to suit the NHL game.
When asked earlier this season about the many expectations and labels that have been put on him at such a young age, Spezza probably said it best --- "You can go down to the bottom just as fast as you came up," he replied. "You can never reach your full potential."