The Real Reason Jason Spezza Left the Maple Leafs Has Been Revealed

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Wade Messier
May 29, 2023 (4:03 PM)

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Jason Spezza made a brief stop in Toronto before ending his lengthy and successful professional hockey career. The fan-favorite forward joined Toronto's front office almost immediately after retiring and was eventually promoted to the position of assistant general manager, where he worked closely with Kyle Dubas.

Drama Between Spezza and the Leafs

Jason Spezza was very close to Kyle Dubas, and the two could be found in the press box together at almost every game. Dubas guided Spezza as he began his journey in the front office, and it was assumed that no matter what happened, the two were a package deal.

When Kyle Dubas was fired a couple of weeks ago, many had questions regarding the future of Jason Spezza, but those questions quickly subsided when it was announced shortly thereafter that Spezza had tendered his resignation from the Leafs in solidarity with Dubas. It was assumed that Spezza left the Leafs out of respect for Dubas, but Elliotte Friedman has his own theory on the issue, and it's an interesting new angle.

On the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Friedman shared his own theory on what led to Spezza's resignation from the Leafs. He had this to say:

"The timing of his resignation in Toronto has people wondering if he was initially the plan, the organizational plan to take over as interim general manager after Dubas left. I don't know if we will ever get confirmation on that, but certainly that is one of the theories." - Elliotte Friedman

While it should be noted that this is nothing more than Friedman's own personal theory, it's an interesting thing to think about. Friedman is very well-connected throughout the league, and he has sources in every team's front office.

Shanahan Gambled and Lost

The most interesting aspect of this situation is why Shanahan would think that Spezza would want to take over Dubas' job immediately after seeing him get let go. As we already mentioned, Spezza and Dubas are extremely close, and it's hard to imagine Spezza being willing to take over Dubas' role right after he was fired.

With so many rumors flying around, it's unlikely that we'll ever know the truth. That being said, Friedman's word is probably more credible than anyone else's, so look out for what he says in the future.

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