Jason Spezza will indeed be back with the Toronto Maple Leafs — just in a far different role.
After 19 seasons, the veteran who served the mentorship role better than any other in this era of Maple Leafs hockey — and who showed an unparalleled and, in the end, heartbreaking desire to win — has announced his retirement. He will join the Maple Leafs front office effective immediately as a special assistant to general manager Kyle Dubas.
It's a bittersweet development in many ways, as Spezza leaves his playing career behind without accomplishing his primary goal, which was to win a Stanley Cup.