Jason Spezza on returning to the Maple Leafs: “If I could take less [money], I would… The chase of the Cup is at the forefront of my mind daily, so anything I can do to help the team acquire better players, that is why I take league minimum”

You were pretty emphatic about your desire to come back. How quickly did it come to reality in terms of getting the wheels in motion today and putting pen to paper on a new deal?

Spezza: We talked at the end of the season. I talked with Kyle and with Sheldon. They expressed they wanted me back. I knew personally I needed to just talk to my family to make sure my girls are on board and my wife. It was a difficult year for them. They went through a lot. They were all on board, and once they were, I knew that I wanted to play.