Jason Spezza Jason Rocco Anthony Spezza ( born June 13 , 1983 ) is a Canadian professional ice hockeycentre who currently plays for the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) . After beginning his major junior career at the early age of 15 in the Ontario Hockey League ( OHL ) , Spezza was selected second overall in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft by the Ottawa Senators . Playing in the American Hockey League ( AHL ) in 2004 - 05 due to the NHL lockout , he won the Les Cunningham Award as league MVP with the Binghamton Senators . In 2005 - 06 , Spezza set an Ottawa Senators franchise record with 71 assists , while hitting the 90 - point mark for the first of two times in his NHL career . Internationally , Spezza has represented Team Canada at three World Junior Championships and two World Championships . When he made his World Junior debut in 2000 , he became just the third 16 - year - old in history to make the team , behind Wayne Gretzky and Eric Lindros . Early life . Spezza was born to Italian parent Rino and Canadian Donna Spezza in Mississauga , Ontario . He has twin siblings ; a sister , Michelle , and a brother , Matthew , an ice hockey goaltender who most recently played for the Flint Generals of the International Hockey League ( IHL ) . Growing up in the Toronto area , he watched the Toronto Maple Leafs , but has cited Mario Lemieux as his favourite player as a child . Baby modelling career [ edit ] . At the age of 1 , Spezza won a baby contest and began his youth modelling career . The victory resulted in Spezza becoming the poster boy for " Baby " , a Broadway musical that played at Toronto ' s O ' Keefe Centre in the summer of 1984 . At five years old , Spezza was chosen for a Minute Maid commercial . Two years later , he modelled clothing for stores Woolco and Kmart . Playing career . Junior years . At 15 - years - old , Spezza began his major junior career in the Ontario Hockey League ( OHL ) with the Brampton Battalion in 1998 – 99 . He recorded beyond a point - per - game pace as an underaged player with 71 points in 67 games . After one season with the Battalion , he was then required to enter the OHL Priority Draft and was selected by the expansion Mississauga Ice Dogs in the team ' s inaugural season in 1999 – 2000 . He recorded 61 points in 52 games that season before being traded 15 games into the 2000 – 01 season to the Windsor Spitfires . Spezza went on to record a career high 116 points in 66 games that season . Going into the 2001 NHL Entry Draft having been named the Top CHL Prospect , Spezza would be drafted second overall by the Ottawa Senators after Ilya Kovalchuk went to the Atlanta Thrashers . The Senators ' second overall pick originally belonged to the New York Islanders , but was traded to Ottawa along with Zdeno Chára and Bill Muckalt for Alexei Yashin on draft day . During the summer of 2001 , Spezza passed on an invitation to the Canadian junior team ' s summer camp because he said he wanted to prepare for his first NHL camp . After one more OHL season split between the Spitfires and the Belleville Bulls , resulting in a 105 - point season , Spezza began his professional career in the American Hockey League ( AHL ) . He signed his first professional contract with the Senators , a multi - year deal , on September 5 , 2001 . Ottawa Senators ( 2002 – 2014 ) . Following Spezza ' s fourth OHL season in 2001 – 02 , he was assigned to the Senators ' AHL affiliate , the Grand Rapids Griffins for the 2002 Calder Cup playoffs , where he made his professional debut , playing in 3 post - season games and recording 1 goal . Spezza made his NHL debut the next season in 2002 – 03 with Ottawa , playing in 33 games and recording 21 points . He played the majority of the season , however , in the AHL with Ottawa ' s new affiliate , the Binghamton Senators , and was called up regularly to replace injured Ottawa players . He also competed in 3 playoff games with Ottawa during his rookie season , helping the team in its 2003 playoff run to the semifinals . The Senators came within one game of the Finals , losing to the eventual Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils . Spezza played his first full NHL season with the Senators in 2003 – 04 and scored 22 goals and 55 points in 78 games . However , due to the subsequent NHL lockout , Spezza returned to the AHL in 2004 – 05 . Scoring 117 points with Binghamton , he outscored Mike Cammalleri of the Manchester Monarchs by 8 points to capture the John B . Sollenberger Trophy as the league ' s leading scorer . Spezza was also awarded the Les Cunningham Award as league MVP . With NHL play set to resume in 2005 – 06 , Spezza returned to Ottawa . Having traded centres Radek Bonk and Todd White off - season , the Senators started Spezza on the first line between Dany Heatley and rookie Brandon Bochenski , who was Spezza ' s linemate in Binghamton . After captain Daniel Alfredsson replaced Bochenski on the top line ( Bochenski was soon thereafter traded ) , the trio , nicknamed the ' CASH ' and ' Pizza ' line , established themselves as one of the most productive line in the NHL . Wingers Alfredsson and Heatley both finished tied for fourth in league scoring with 103 points , while Spezza tallied 90 points despite an injury - shortened 68 - game season . His 71 assists established a team single - season record and was second in the league behind Joe Thornton of the San Jose Sharks ( 96 assists ) . In the 2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs , the Senators defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round , but fell to the Buffalo Sabres in five games . Spezza added 14 points in 10 post - season games . During the summer of 2006 , Spezza underwent successful back surgery . The following season , he continued on the same pace with Heatley and Alfredsson before suffering another injury . He managed a career - high 34 goals and finished with 87 points in 67 games . On May 19 , 2007 , he scored a goal and an assist as the Senators defeated the Buffalo Sabres in the Eastern Conference final 4 games to 1 . They moved to the Stanley Cup finals against the Anaheim Ducks , but lost in five games after the Spezza - Heatley - Alfredsson line failed to perform against Samuel Påhlsson ' s checking line , backed by star defencemen Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger . Spezza finished the playoffs with a franchise - record 22 post - season points , tied with linemates Alfredsson and Heatley . Beginning 2007 – 08 in the last season of his contract , Spezza signed a seven - year contract extension with the Senators worth $ 49 million on November 2 , 2007 . Late that season , on February 9 , 2008 , Spezza scored his first NHL hat - trick during a 6 – 1 Senators victory over the Montreal Canadiens . Spezza contributed to all of his team ' s goals , for a career - high 6 - point night . He finished tying his career - high in goals with 34 and establishing a new personal mark for points with 92 . The Senators , however , failed to advance past the first round following their Stanley Cup run the previous season , falling to the Pittsburgh Penguins in four games . The 2008 – 09 season was a disappointing one for both Spezza and the Senators . Though he managed to remain injury - free and played in all of his team ' s 82 games for the first time in his NHL career , his point production decreased . Spezza managed 73 points in 82 games , and while still respectable , the numbers were his lowest totals since his first full NHL season in 2003 – 04 . The team struggled all season long , and would miss the playoffs for the first time since 1995 – 96 . Despite missing 22 games due to injury in the 2009 - 10 season , Spezza still managed to score 23 goals and pick up 34 assists for 57 points in 60 games to finish second on the team in scoring . In the first round of the playoffs , the Senators lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins 4 games to 2 . Spezza finished with 1 goal and 6 assists for 7 points in the six games . He also led the team in shots on goal with 24 . However , Spezza ' s poor defensive play and costly turnovers in that series resulted in him being booed by fans at Scotiabank Place , and the following off - season was rife with speculation that he would be traded . Spezza himself admitted that he would not object to a trade out of Ottawa . Ultimately , no trade was forthcoming and Spezza remained an Ottawa Senator . On Sunday , December 26 , 2010 , in a 3 – 1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins , Spezza was checked from behind into the boards by Penguins defenseman Kris Letang . Letang received a two - minute penalty for boarding and Spezza was expected to miss 4 to 6 weeks due to the shoulder injury he suffered as a result from Letang ' s hit from behind . At the end of the 2010 - 11 season , Spezza was named on an interim basis as an alternate captain after the trade of Mike Fisher . In , 2011 - 12 Spezza was named as a permanent alternate captain for the Senators . He remained injury - free and finished fourth in league scoring , earning consideration for the Hart Memorial Trophy Spezza was ultimately not a finalist for the award , finishing sixth in Hart voting . Spezza spent time with Rapperswil - Jona Lakers of the Swiss National League A during the 2012 - 13 NHL lockout and returned to the Senators once a resolution had been negotiated . He registered two goals and three assists in five games before a back injury sidelined him . The Senators announced on January 31 , 2013 , that Spezza would be out of the Ottawa line - up for a minimum of two months , and possibly longer , as he required surgery for a herniated disc in his back . The injury occurred in a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on January 27 . Spezza ultimately missed the remainder of the regular season and the first round of the playoffs . He returned to action on May 19 , 2013 , for the third game of Ottawa ' s Eastern Conference Semifinal series against Pittsburgh . On September 14 , 2013 , Spezza was named the eighth captain in Senators ' franchise history , replacing long time teammate Daniel Alfredsson , who had departed to the Detroit Red Wings on July 5 , 2013 as a free agent . After the conclusion of his first season as the Senators captain in 2013 - 14 , it was revealed by Ottawa General Manager Bryan Murray that Spezza had requested a trade from the Senators . At the 2014 NHL Entry Draft , a potential trade to the Nashville Predators was negotiated by Murray but rejected by Spezza as the Predators were one of the teams named in his limited no trade clause . Dallas Stars ( 2014 – present ) . On July 1 , 2014 , Spezza ' s wish was granted as he was traded to the Dallas Stars , along with Ludwig Karlsson , in a deal that sent Alex Chiasson , Alex Guptill , Nick Paul and a 2015 second - round pick to Ottawa . On November 21 , Spezza and the Stars came to an agreement on an extension for four years at an annual average salary of $ 7 . 5 million that will keep him in Dallas through the 2018 – 19 season . He scored 17 goals with 45 assists in 82 games in his first season with the Stars , as they missed the playoffs . His offensive production improved the following season , scoring 33 goals in 75 games as the Stars qualified for the playoffs as the top seed in the West . International play . As a junior , Spezza represented Canada ' s national junior team three consecutive years . He made his debut at the 2000 World Junior Championshiops , becoming just the third 16 - year - old to make the team in Team Canada history , after Wayne Gretzky and Eric Lindros ( this feat was also accomplished the same year by defenceman Jay Bouwmeester and Sidney Crosby in 2004 ) . Spezza contributed 2 assists in 7 games as Canada captured a bronze medal . He returned in 2001 for a second consecutive bronze medal , while improving to 3 goals and 3 assists . Spezza made it to the gold medal game with Team Canada in his third and final World Junior appearance in 2002 , but lost to Russia to earn the silver . As a member of the Senators , Spezza was made a reserve for Team Canada at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin , but did not play . He would make his men ' s debut for Team Canada at the 2008 World Championships , being named to the team along with Senators linemate Dany Heatley . He earned a silver medal , losing to Russia in the gold medal game . With the Senators failing to make the NHL playoffs the following year , Spezza again represented Canada at the 2009 World Championships . He won another silver medal , losing to Russia in the gold medal game for the second consecutive year . Spezza , along with Finland ' s Niko Kapanen and fellow Canadian Steven Stamkos , finished the tournament tied for first in goal scoring with 7 . Despite his success with the national team in the two previous World Championships , as well as being named a reserve for the 2006 Olympic team , Spezza was left off Team Canada ' s initial summer camp roster in preparation for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver . However , after veteran Joe Sakic announced his retirement and Ryan Getzlaf declared he required more time to recover from injury , Spezza was invited to fill in one of the vacant spots . As the 2012 - 13 NHL lockout continued , Spezza was named to Team Canada for the 2012 Spengler Cup held in Davos , Switzerland . Spezza joined fellow NHL stars John Tavares , Tyler Seguin , Patrice Bergeron , Ryan Smyth , and Matt Duchene in the Canadian line - up , helping Canada defeat host team HC Davos to capture its first Spengler Cup title since 2007 . At the 2015 IIHF World Championship , where Canada won the gold medal for the first time since 2007 with a perfect 10 – 0 record , Spezza was named best forward and a member of the all - star team ; he was the tournament ' s leading scorer . Off the ice . Community programs . Spezza participates in numerous activities outside of hockey , especially the " Spelling with Spezza " program . Winners receive a poster of Spezza and a pair of tickets to a Senators ' home game . The program recognizes the importance of spelling . Spezza visits selected classes registered for the program . He also contributes to Ronald McDonald House Charities . Personal life . Spezza wed his girlfriend , Jennifer Snell , in Ottawa , Ontario , Canada on July 25 , 2009 . The ceremony took place at Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica and the reception was held across the street at the National Gallery of Canada . Many of his current and past teammates were in attendance including Ray Emery , Antoine Vermette , Brendan Bell , Chris Phillips , Chris Neil , and Senators owner Eugene Melnyk . However , close friend and former line - mate Dany Heatley was not in attendance . On June 8 , 2010 , Spezza ' s wife Jennifer gave birth to the couple ' s first child , a daughter named Sophia Donna , at St . Joseph ' s Health Centre in Toronto . Their second daughter Nicola Patricia Spezza was born on April 1 , 2012 in Ottawa , Ontario . Their third daughter Anna Lucia Spezza was born on May 23 , 2014 in Toronto , Ontario . Their fourth daughter Julia Spezza was born March 15 , 2016 in Dallas , Texas . Since Spezza left Ottawa , he has sold his west - end home . Endorsements . Spezza was on the cover of the NHL 2K8 video game for the PlayStation 2 , PlayStation 3 , Xbox and the Xbox 360 video game consoles . He is also a spokesperson for Jubilee Fine Jewellers in Ottawa .