MONTREAL, Quebec -- At 7:39 p.m. on Tuesday night, in the shadows of the banners draped from the Bell Centre’s ceiling -- the 15 retired numbers and the 23 Stanley Cup championships -- Jason Spezza entered his name into hockey history.
By taking the opening draw in the Stars’ badly needed 4-1 over the Canadiens, Spezza played his 1,000th career game and did so in a city brimming with hockey tradition and against the most decorated franchise in the sport. For the Toronto-born, one-time Senators captain and self-proclaimed hockey traditionalist, hitting the milestone in Montreal was special for Spezza.