Jason Spezza News: Pro Sports Daily

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March 10

Ottawa Sun

"Early in the season, Jason Spezza could not buy a goal. The Ottawa Senators forward went 11 games before registering his first goal of the year and was then shutout for nine games after that. It was unfamiliar territory for someone who has twice hit the 90-point plateau. "It was tough. I'm a guy that's always been pretty good offensively, pretty consistent, so when you go through a dry spell it's tough on you mentally," Spezza said. 'Magnified'"

Spezza assists auction to help paralyzed player

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February 7

Ottawa Sun

"Jason Spezza had his amazing goal-scoring streak stopped at eight games Saturday night in his hometown, at the same ACC venue he suffered a Dec. 16 knee injury that caused him to miss 20 games this season. It was just before flying to Toronto Friday that Spezza was touched by a story which prompted him to help another injured hockey player, in the town he now makes his home. The Senators centre donated an hour of himself and ice time, a signed Bobby Orr jersey and a signed pair of his own skates to The Team 1200's online auction in support of Rene Faucher, the 40-year-old Ottawa father of three who was paralyzed after suffering a severe spinal cord injury while playing pickup hockey at the ..."

Spezza can tie franchise record Wednesday

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February 3

Ottawa Sun

"With the sizzling Senators chasing their 10th straight win Wednesday night against the Sabres, Jason Spezza has a streak of his own on the line. The Senators centre can tie Dany Heatley's franchise record if he scores a goal in his seventh straight game. Just because he's hot doesn't mean he's following the superstitious path of some of his teammates. "I like changing my underwear," said Spezza, with a smile. "I'm not worried about wearing the same clothes or whatnot." That's good because Senators coach Cory Clouston reminded the players that if they're going to catch Buffalo for No. 1 spot in the Northeast Division, some things are going to have to change. "There's no such thing as a ..."

Spezza spurs on Senators

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January 24

Ottawa Citizen

"Once again Saturday, the Ottawa Senators received the magic touch from the return of a long lost player. This time it was Jason Spezza who stepped off the injury list and into the starring role, scoring the winning goal as the Senators extended their winning streak to six games — their longest since December 2007 — in a sound 2-1 victory over the slumping Boston Bruins. Everything continues to go the Senators' way. They received outstanding goaltending from Brian Elliott, who made 32 saves. They received just enough offence to eke out their fourth consecutive road win. They were also on the right side of a controversial non-goal. Suddenly, all of the talk about the Senators being an ..."

Spezza set to return, 'be part of the good feeling'

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January 23

Ottawa Citizen

"A week ago, Jason Spezza was anxious to get back to help a losing team. Now, he's hoping to add to an already fast-moving train. "I'm excited to get back and be part of the good feeling they've got going on," said Spezza, who is expected to return to the lineup against the Boston Bruins today after missing 20 games with a torn ligament in his right knee. "I have been fortunate. The biggest thing is I didn't have a lot of swelling early on, and they say that speeds things up. I'm happy, because after I got injured, I thought it would take a lot longer. I was really diligent with everything and it has gone well." The return of Spezza creates countless "options," according to coach Cory ..."

Spezza next up in return queue for Senators

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January 22

Ottawa Citizen

"Now that he's only days away from stepping back into the Ottawa Senators' lineup, Jason Spezza is all smiles and full of optimism. He has taken a glass-is-half-full approach to the right knee injury that has sidelined him for 22 games, claiming the time away has allowed other parts of his body to heal. "I battled a bit with injuries to start the year," Spezza said following Thursday's morning skate with his Senators teammates. "It's good to come back and be fresh. For me, the (schedule) will be perfect. There will be eight or nine games left before the (Olympic) break and then two weeks off." Spezza, who is believed to have been bothered by back issues in addition to the third-degree ..."

Elliott gets start for Sens

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January 21

Ottawa Sun

"Jason Spezza is inching closer to a return, but he isn't ready for game action just yet. The Senators centre, out with a knee injury, was on the ice Thursday practising with the rest of the players, but he won't suit up against the St. Louis Blues tonight and isn't expected to play Saturday against Boston, either. It's more likely he will return Tuesday at Scotiabank Place when Martin Brodeur and the New Jersey Devils come to town. While Spezza is feeling much better, he wants to be careful and a few more days of rest isn't going to hurt. The final decision on when he returns will be made by Spezza in consultation with athletic therapist Gerry Townend and coach Cory Clouston. "I've got to ..."

Spezza and Michalek about a week away from returning

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January 20

Ottawa Sun

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"For the Senators, injured winger Milan Michalek (concussion) and centre Jason Spezza (knee) were both on the ice this morning at Scotiabank Place. Spezza and Michalek are both likely a week away from returning to the lineup. There is no change in the status of goalie Pascal Leclaire, who is also sidelined with a concussion."

Spezza close to comeback

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January 18

Ottawa Sun

"Daniel Alfredsson is back, Filip Kuba should return Monday afternoon, Milan Michalek is "very close" and Jason Spezza, in a surprising development yesterday, indicated he could be back in the lineup within a week. But most importantly, the Senators once again have someone who can stop the puck. And until further notice, Mike Brodeur is their go-to 'tender. "Whatever goaltender is going to get us the win right now, that's who we're going to go with," said coach Cory Clouston. "Doesn't matter if it's your second-, third- or first-string, you need more than one goaltender, for the most part, to win in this league. Mike's done a great job. What an opportunity he's been presented, and he's ..."

Senators enter a critical point in the schedule minus Alfie, Spezza and Foligno

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December 27

Ottawa Citizen

"Now we'll see what sort of jam they have. The Ottawa Senators, without Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza and Nick Foligno, will be in Buffalo for a game tonight against the Northeast Division-leading Sabres. This should tell fans all they need to know about this team. To make the odds even longer, the Senators' No. 1 goalie, Pascal Leclaire, is still working his way back into form after sitting out a month with a broken cheekbone. His first game back, Wednesday's 8-2 bombing by the Pittsburgh Penguins, hardly boosted his confidence. About the only thing the Senators have going for them is their mastery over the Sabres. Since the lockout, Ottawa is 22-6-4 against the Sabres, including a pair ..."

No Spezza — and no deal for Senators

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December 17

Ottawa Sun

"The Senators shouldn't be waiting for help with Jason Spezza sidelined until after the Olympics. The club confirmed Spezza will be out 6-8 weeks with a torn MCL he suffered Monday against the Maple Leafs, but GM Bryan Murray told reporters he's not going to be making a deal anytime soon. The Senators will have to soldier on without their top centre. Murray said he can't afford to make a deal unless another GM is willing to take a contract off his hands. The Senators have just $1.5 million in salary-cap room. The Christmas roster freeze goes into effect Saturday and there are no deals on the frontburner. "Right now, there's nothing to look for," said Murray. "We're going to have to play ..."

Murray in no hurry to deal following Spezza injury

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December 17

Ottawa Citizen

"Bryan Murray is in no rush to find a replacement for injured centre Jason Spezza outside of the organization. And even if Murray wanted to make a trade, he has few, if any, options. "Right now, there's nothing to look for," Murray said while talking about Spezza's torn medial collateral ligament in his right knee, which will likely keep him out of the lineup until after the Olympic break. "At this point in time, we have to play with the lineup we have. It has do to with salary cap space (and other issues). If something comes along, we'll take that step, but, for the time being, it's a test of the character we have." The Senators are between $1 million U.S. and $1.5 million below the cap ..."

Spezza could miss up to two months

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December 16

NHL.com

"Ottawa center Jason Spezza was already having a rough season statistically, but now he won't be able to do anything about it for what could be two months. Plus, he's lost any hope, at least what remained of it, of making Canada's Olympic team. Spezza suffered a right knee injury with 30 seconds left in a 3-2 loss to Toronto on Monday night after Leafs' forward Lee Stempniak fell on him. Reports out of Ottawa are saying Spezza could be gone until after the Olympic Break. Spezza was a long shot for Team Canada anyway due to his slow start (5 goals and 14 assists for 19 points and a minus-5 rating in 30 games). However, he received a late invite to the Canadian Olympic Orientation Camp, so he ..."

Knee injury takes Senators' No. 1 centre out of lineup

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December 16

Ottawa Citizen

"Some fans will be happy, some will be sad. That's the way it is when the topic is Jason Spezza. There's no middle ground. News that the Ottawa Senators centre will be out of action for as long as eight weeks with what coach Cory Clouston called a "fairly serious" injury to his right knee will be greeted with dismay by some, relief by others. After all, his critics argue, Spezza hasn't played well this season. Even with had a goal in each of his past two games he still has only five in 30 games, plus 14 assists, and he made some dreadful plays in Monday's 3-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. There's a certain amount of truth to those arguments, but they really don't amount to much more than ..."

Sens feeling Spezza's pain

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December 16

Ottawa Sun

"Jason Spezza was hurting as he limped into the Senators dressing room yesterday at Scotiabank Place. The rest of the Senators will start feeling the pain of his injury tonight. While there's no definitive timetable for a return from the right knee injury Spezza suffered with only 30 seconds left in a 3-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs Monday,when Lee Stempniak fell on him, Spezza could be gone for as long as two months. Coach Cory Clouston said he didn't believe surgery was necessary and the injury was similar to what's sidelined rugged winger Chris Neil, but Spezza might not be back until after the Olympic break. "We're looking long-term here," said Clouston. "(After the Olympics) is a ..."

Senators brace for life without Spezza

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December 16

Ottawa Citizen

"Some fans will be happy, some will be sad. That's the way it is when the topic is Jason Spezza. There's no middle ground. News that the Ottawa Senators centre will be out of action for as long as eight weeks with what coach Cory Clouston called a "fairly serious" injury to his right knee will be greeted with dismay by some, relief by others. After all, his critics argue, Spezza hasn't played well this season. Even with had a goal in each of his past two games he still has only five in 30 games, plus 14 assists, and he made some dreadful plays in Monday's 3-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. There's a certain amount of truth to those arguments, but they really don't amount to much more than ..."

Sens feeling Spezza's pain

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December 16

Ottawa Sun

"Jason Spezza was hurting as he limped into the Senators dressing room yesterday at Scotiabank Place. The rest of the Senators will start feeling the pain of his injury tonight. While there's no definitive timetable for a return from the right knee injury Spezza suffered with only 30 seconds left in a 3-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs Monday,when Lee Stempniak fell on him, Spezza could be gone for as long as two months. Coach Cory Clouston said he didn't believe surgery was necessary and the injury was similar to what's sidelined rugged winger Chris Neil, but Spezza might not be back until after the Olympic break. "We're looking long-term here," said Clouston. "(After the Olympics) is a ..."

Knee injury might keep Spezza out two months

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December 15

Ottawa Citizen

"Jason Spezza has a "fairly serious" injury to his right knee that could keep him out as long as eight weeks but won't require surgery, coach Cory Clouston said this morning. "It means that more than ever we're going to have to be a team," said Clouston. Spezza was to have a MRI in the afternoon to determine the extent of the damage, but Clouston said it might be comparable to the knee injury that presently has Chris Neil out of the lineup. Spezza said he felt something pop in his knee when Leaf forward Lee Stempniak fell on him in the final minute of Monday's 3-2 loss to the Leafs."

Spezza could miss 4-6 weeks

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December 15

Ottawa Sun

"Jason Spezza felt something 'pop' in his right knee last night. The Senators can only hope that wasn't the sound of their season going 'kaboom.' "I'm not doing too good," said Spezza after Senators practice today. The team said a preliminary estimate is that he will miss four to six weeks. "It was just the faceoff with 30 seconds left and the guy just kind of fell on the right side of my knee. I just felt something pop, kind of. I felt something and then I tried to get up and skate and I had no power." Coach Cory Clouston pulled no punches as he addressed the media. "It looks fairly serious. Right knee," said Clouston, whose team is already missing it's No. 1 goaltender Pascal Leclaire ..."

Spezza leaves ice with leg injury

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December 15

TSN.ca

"Senators forward Jason Spezza left the ice late in the third period of Ottawa's game with the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight with what appeared to be a leg injury. Spezza appeared to get tangled up with Leafs' forward Lee Stempniak off of a faceoff and Stempniak appeared to roll over on Spezza's right leg."

Spezza, Kovalev exposed as Senators' losses mount

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December 10

Ottawa Citizen

"The Ottawa Senators' strong start this season was like a warm blanket wrapped around Alex Kovalev and Jason Spezza, keeping them nice and comfortable as they worked out issues with their games. The standard excuse for Kovalev's poor production was his having to adapt to a new city and hockey system. For Spezza, it was finding a way to continue at a point-per-game pace while still skating back to play some defence once in a while. Now that the wins have stopped, however, the struggling stars are no longer getting the benefit of the doubt. Not from fans, not from the owner and not from the coach. Cory Clouston acknowledged Wednesday that the team is getting close to hitting a very damaging ..."

Senators looking for production from high-priced tallent

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December 10

TSN.ca

"Following a lengthy road trip that saw the team pick up just three out of a possible 10 points, the Ottawa Senators could be excused for looking forward to some home cooking on Tuesday night. Unfortunately for the Senators, Jaroslav Halak did not follow the recipe. Despite firing 46 shots at the Canadiens' net, they were only able to beat the Montreal Canadiens' goaltender keeper once. Compounding the problem was the fact the team went 0-for-7 with the man advantage. "Some nights the pucks go in when you get that many shots, sometimes they don't," stated forward Jason Spezza following the loss. Spezza has had a particularly difficult time recently getting pucks to go in. With only three ..."

Heatley trade hard on Spezza

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December 1

Ottawa Citizen

"Is it possible that the one person hurt most by the trade of Dany Heatley to the San Jose Sharks has been Jason Spezza? As the Ottawa Senators prepare to face the Sharks tonight, the statistics make a compelling argument. Joe Thornton, Heatley's new centre and linemate, has 30 assists, seven goals and is the National Hockey League's leading scorer. Both players are locks to be on Canada's team in the 2010 Vancouver Olympic hockey tournament. Spezza, Heatley's old centre and linemate, has 13 assists and only two goals. He's only fourth in scoring among Senators players, and his Olympic hopes have likely disappeared with those numbers. It's not as if Spezza's linemates, Milan Michalek and ..."

Wins keep spotlight off Spezza

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November 27

Ottawa Citizen

"Jason Spezza heard the questions in the locker room and responded on the ice. The Ottawa Senators' struggling centre entered Thursday night's home game against the Columbus Blue Jackets a nine-game goal-less drought and on pace for just 48 points this season. That made for plenty of queries at the morning skate about what was wrong and how to fix it. For one night anyway, though, Spezza's performance spoke for itself. He scored late in the first period, putting his team on the board in a game in which it eventually won 2-1. Now he just needs to do it consistently. "It's a start for me," Spezza said after the game. Earlier in the day, he had seemed to be at a loss to explain why he has ..."

Spezza brings 'A' game

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November 27

Ottawa Sun

"Maybe the Senators should have sewn a letter on Jason Spezza's sweater a few weeks ago. Wearing the associate captain's 'A' for the first time in his NHL career, the big boy finally scored his second goal of the season in Thursday's 2-1 win over the Blue Jackets. Spezza had gone nine games without a goal. The 'A' on his chest actually belongs to Mike Fisher, who missed his second game with a fluke injury suffered in practice Tuesday. Chris Kelly wore it in Wednesday's 3-1 loss to New Jersey. "It's always nice to get recognized as a leader," Spezza said when asked about the letter before the game. Spezza's goal came on a delayed penalty (that's right, a penalty call on the opposing team) ..."

Stymied Spezza's deja blue

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November 23

Ottawa Sun

"Maybe it's a good omen. The last time Jason Spezza had such a slow start, he wound up with the best season of his career. It was 2007-08 and, after 14 games, the Senators centre had just one goal. His final tally: 76 games played, 34 goals, 58 assists and 92 points. "So this," Spezza said after the 5-3 win over the Sabres Saturday, "is not completely new to me." "This," however, is nonetheless confounding. Spezza has just one goal through the Senators' 20 games this season, of which he has played 18. He did snap a six-game pointless streak with a pair of assists Saturday, but his rotten luck around the net was never more evident. He took nine shots at the Buffalo goal in the final two ..."

Spezza says Emery doing great with Flyers

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November 12

Philadelphia Daily News

"There are few players who know Ray Emery better than Ottawa sniper Jason Spezza. The Flyers are taking on the Senators tonight, Emery's former team, and Spezza was the first name Emery blurted out when mentioning the players he was looking forward to seeing. Emery was in Spezza's wedding party this summer and the two lived together for a year in Binghamton. They were often shuttling back and forth between the minors when their careers were just getting started, after being a part of the same draft class in 2001. Like most of the players who witnessed the Emery drama firsthand in Canada's capital city, Spezza thought that the traffic stops, tardiness and fighting at practice were overblown. ..."

Spezza nets shootout winner

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November 11

Ottawa Sun

"Even an ugly win can be a thing of beauty. On a night winger Jonathan Cheechoo finally scored his first goal in an Ottawa uniform, Jason Spezza was the hero, scoring the winner in a 4-3 shootout decision over the Edmonton Oilers. Chris Neil and Nick Foligno also scored for the Senators, while goaltender Pascal Leclaire made 31 stops in regulation. Spezza, the third Senator in the shootout, tucked it underneath Jeff Deslauriers after a deke. "I kind of committed to my move early, I wasn't really too concerned what he was going to do because we don't know him too well," said Spezza. "I just got in my mind what I wanted to do and tried to execute. I think it went of the post. "They play a ..."

Spezza shines as Senators down Lightning 3-2

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November 6

Ottawa Citizen

"That 7-1 home ice beating the Ottawa Senators put on the Tampa Bay Lightning a couple of weeks ago was an aberration. This time, other than Chris Neil levelling Lightning rookie Victor Hedman with a clean, but devastating hit, there was no beat down. After letting a 2-1 lead get away, the Senators needed an power-play goal in overtime to handle the Lightning 3-2. Nice timing, Jason Spezza, on your first goal of the season. This is how it will be most nights: the Senators trying to eke out a victory in a tight game, needing big saves from Pascal Leclaire (who needed his best friends, the posts). The home team was in need of a fix after consecutive losses and talked about the importance of ..."

Spezza to the rescue

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November 6

Ottawa Sun

"Jason Spezza's timing was perfect. Returning to the lineup after missing two games with what's believed to be a back/groin injury, the Senators centre fired his first goal of the season past Antero Niittymaki at 4:17 of overtime to give Ottawa a 3-2 win over Tampa Bay at Scotiabank Place. While the Senators came out of the dressing room to salute the troops on Canadian Forces Night, those left in the crowd of 17,511 saluted them right back. Mike Fisher and Daniel Alfredsson also scored for the Senators, who halted a two-game losing skid. Goalie Pascal Leclaire made 18 saves. "To get one in overtime, get the win and get my first is always nice," said Spezza, who hadn't scored since April ..."

Spezza looks ready to play

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November 5

Ottawa Sun

"Jason Spezza appears ready to return. And, it looks like Jonathan Cheechoo is going to get demoted. Getting ready to play the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight at Scotiabank Place, Spezza looks like he is ready to return after missing two games with a back/groin injury that has hampered him all season. "You bring back an elite player. He's a lot closer to being 100% than he was," said coach Cory Clouston. "That is what the rest was about. He's obviously a big part of our team.""

Spezza a maybe

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November 5

Ottawa Citizen

"The Ottawa Senators will be crossing their fingers that centre Jason Spezza's back feels OK when he shows up for Thursday morning's pre-game skate. That will determine whether he returns after a two-game absence and plays Thursday against the Tampa Bay Lightning or whether he sits again. Coach Cory Clouston was buoyed by Spezza's performance in Wednesday's practice, but said he'd reserve judgment until Thursday morning. "He looked good, so as long as everything holds true to the way it was (Wednesday), he'll play," Clouston said. Spezza was upbeat. He has been about the only beneficiary of the long layoff the team has had since playing Atlanta on Saturday afternoon. It was a plus that he ..."

Spezza could return to lineup

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November 5

Ottawa Sun

"The Senators could get a shot in the arm tonight. No, not for H1N1. This isn't Calgary. Centre Jason Spezza, out for the last two games with what's believed to be back trouble, will likely make an unexpected return to the lineup to face the Tampa Bay Lightning at Scotiabank Place. Spezza skated with his teammates Wednesday for the first time this week and if there was no setback overnight, he will be ready to take his place in the lineup. "I felt pretty good. I got through the whole practice and I didn't have to leave. The rest has definitely helped it, but the only way you can tell how it's going to be is by skating," said Spezza, who is still looking for his first goal, but has eight ..."

Spezza returns to the ice

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November 4

Ottawa Citizen

"Injured Ottawa Senators centre Jason Spezza could be back in the lineup Thursday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Spezza skated with his teammates Wednesday or the first time since suffering an upper body injury last week. He has missed two games so far and was expected to sit out Thursday. Coach Cory Clouston said his top centre looked fine and, if nothing changes in the next 24 hours, No. 19 will suit up. "It's the type of injury — you can't just put a timeframe on it," Clouston said. "He had a real good day yesterday and he looked like he was real good today.""

Spezza and Volchenkov improving

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November 3

Ottawa Citizen

"Injured Ottawa Senators centre Jason Spezza (back) and defenceman Anton Volchenkov (elbow) are both feeling better today, but there's no change in their return dates. Coach Cory Clouston, who gave his morning press briefing surrounded by roadies and concert gear (Metallica is playing Scotiabank Place tonight), said both players had experienced "significant improvement" overnight. Volchenkov is expected back sometime in the next ten days and Spezza is doubtful for Thursday's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning."

Spezza out another week

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November 3

Ottawa Sun

"The Senators expect to have to wait until at least the end of the week before Jason Spezza will be ready to return to the lineup. The Ottawa centre wasn't on the ice today and the team does not expect him to play Thursday against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Scotiabank Place. It will be the third straight game Spezza has missed with what's believed to be a back/groin injury which has hampered him since the start of training camp. "He's doubtful for Thursday," said coach Cory Clouston as the team returned to the ice today."

Spezza won't play Saturday, Volchenkov out 3 weeks

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October 30

Ottawa Citizen

"Jason Spezza will miss his second straight game Saturday, when the Ottawa Senators play host to the Atlanta Thrashers. The Senators will also be without defenceman Anton Volchenkov, who suffered an elbow injury Wednesday and is expected to be out for three weeks. Spezza's injury has been labelled as "upper body" injury, but has all the appearances of being a back ailment."

Spezza may sit out game

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October 22

Ottawa Sun

"Playing with an undisclosed nagging injury has been frustrating for Jason Spezza. But after leaving early from yesterday's practice at Scotiabank Place, the Senators centre couldn't help but chuckle as he walked away from the media, providing little in the way of details on the nature or severity of the issue. "Sorry for the vagueness," said Spezza with a smile. With the Nashville Predators in town tonight, the last thing the Senators need is their No. 1 centre hurting. While Spezza is listed as "probable," he admitted he may sit out a few games to see if that helps the injury heal. About 10 minutes into yesterday's practice, Spezza left for the training room and didn't return. Long after ..."

No goals, no worries for Spezza

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October 20

Ottawa Citizen

"Jason Spezza has been in this situation before, so he's not sweating it. Much. At the start of the 2007-08 National Hockey League season, he also went without a goal in the first seven games. He finally got one in his eighth game, the game-winning goal in a 4-3 victory against the Montreal Canadiens, but he went into another slump and did not score again until he notched two goals in the 15th game. He was getting plenty of assists, so it wasn't as if Spezza wasn't carrying his weight: In those first 14 games, he had 16 assists. Goals were hard to come by, though, just like now. The goals eventually came. In 2007-08, Spezza finished with 34, which tied a career high set one season earlier. ..."

Michalek making me better: Spezza

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October 14

Ottawa Citizen

"Coincidence or not, former San Jose Sharks Milan Michalek and Jonathan Cheechoo both turned in their best games with the Ottawa Senators when they joined Jason Spezza on a line. The unit combined for 14 shots (Michalek had five, Cheechoo and Spezza four each) in Monday night's 4-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins at Scotiabank Place. Michalek, who scored his first goal, also led all Senators in ice time, at 22 minutes 21 seconds. "We're starting to understand each other a little more," Spezza said about playing with Michalek. "We play a little different system than they played in San Jose, so, for Milan, there's a few adjustments. For me, there are a few adjustments. If I have a guy with ..."

Spezza, ex-Sharks show flash in first game together

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October 13

Toronto Sun

"He sent Jonathan Cheechoo and Milan Michalek in for a sweet give-and-go between the two former Sharks that turned into the first goal of the game on this Statement Night at Scotiabank Place. Alas, if only judging by a moment in the third period in which his shout of a curse word could be heard up in the press box, it would also evolve into a frustrating evening for Jason Spezza. His first night flanked by both players acquired for Dany Heatley showed plenty of promise, however. "I thought they were very effective," Senators coach Cory Clouston said of the new Michalek-Spezza-Cheechoo line following the 4-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. "They generated a lot of opportunities. With any ..."

Just trying to help Spezza out, Neil says

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October 10

Ottawa Citizen

"Jason Spezza and Chris Neil sit beside each other in the Ottawa Senators' dressing room, but they weren't so friendly on the ice at the end of Friday's practice. They ended up in a brief fight that had to be broken up by teammates. There was some slashing in one of the faceoff circles, and then it all started. A couple of glancing blows were thrown before they were separated. Spezza brushed it off. "I don't know what happened," he said. "As teammates, sometimes you get into it. It was just a (spitting) match. I'll buy him lunch, but I knew when he dropped the gloves, it was time to get out of there. Just stay at arm's length." Neil played it tongue-in-cheek, mostly. "(Spezza's) always ..."

Spezza, Neil in scuffle at Senators practice

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October 9

Ottawa Citizen

"Jason Spezza and Chris Neil, seatmates in the Ottawa dressing room, started some fireworks at the end of today's practice with a brief fight. It started when Neil slashed Spezza. Spezza slashed back. At that point, the gloves came off. A couple of glancing blows were thrown before teammates broke up the fight. Spezza brushed it off."

Spezza sits out practice

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October 8

Ottawa Sun

"There was no sign of Jason Spezza at Senators' practice today at Scotiabank Place. But the team says the sniper will be on the ice when the puck is dropped in tomorrow night's home opener against John Tavares and the New York Islanders. Spezza was on the training table for some rehab in the wake of Ottawa's 2-1 win over Toronto on Tuesday. He is apparently suffering from some bumps and bruises and was given the day off for rest and rehab. "He'll be fine tomorrow," said Senators coach Cory Clouston. What is known is the Senators will be without defenceman Filip Kuba (lower body) for the second straight game. Centre Jesse Winchester (right knee) returned to practice today but also will not ..."

It's all about balance for Senators

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October 1

Ottawa Citizen

"Jason Spezza has a message for all those poolies who believe the promise of a more balanced Ottawa Senators scoring attack could somehow mean reduced points for him personally. "With all the options we have, I think I should be able to get more points and the team should win more games," a confident-sounding Spezza said following a workout at Scotiabank Place Wednesday, as the club prepares for Saturday's season opener against the New York Rangers. "I'm not changing my goals. I kind of know what I want to get to. I have tons of individual stuff that I want to achieve, but nothing that I want to (share)." Spezza clearly believes that what's good for the team will also be good for him. And ..."

All eyes on Sens lines

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September 24

Ottawa Sun

"The line combinations used by Senators coach Cory Clouston at this morning's practice will likely stay intact for Friday's final preseason tuneup and -- barring a surprise -- the start of the regular season. With lots of speculation in the wind in the wake of GM Brian Murray's comments on Tuesday that he is looking to move a veteran player or two to open up roster spots, and relieve salary pressure, all eyes were on today's workout combinations. Working from left-centre-right, they were: * Milan Michalek-Jason Spezza-Daniel Alfredsson * Mike Fisher-Peter Regin-Alex Kovalev * Nick Foligno-Ryan Shannon-Jonathan Cheechoo * Jarkko Ruutu-Chris Kelly-Chris Neil"

Cheechoo could line up with Spezza

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September 15

Ottawa Sun

"The Cheechoo Train rolled into town yesterday, determined not to slide off the rails again. As practice wrapped up at Scotiabank Place, newly acquired Jonathan Cheechoo stood along the boards chatting with centre Jason Spezza. Once the Senators' season opens against the Rangers on Oct. 3 at Madison Square Garden, the pair could be spending a lot of time together. Saturday's deal that brought Cheechoo and winger Milan Michalek to the Senators for unhappy Dany Heatley didn't come as a surprise to the former 56-goal scorer, but Cheechoo is hopeful the fresh start will jumpstart his career, which has been on a downslide. "I'm excited. They've got a good young team here with some good veterans. ..."