Post by Declan on Aug 25, 2009 8:50:13 GMT -5
Jason Spezza was asked to give the public a peek into the inner psyche of Ottawa Senators teammate Dany Heatley on Monday.
Surely there must be some hidden reason for Heatley’s bizarre demand for a trade from the Senators?
“You know him as well as anyone,” the reporter began in a media scrum at the Calgary International Airport after players arrived for the Olympic men’s hockey orientation camp. “He’s been through a trauma in his life that none of us can identify with.”
In 2003, Dan Snider died from injuries he received in a single-vehicle accident involving a sports car driven by Heatley, then Snyder’s teammate with the Atlanta Thrashers.
“Is there something you can say almost in defence of him a little bit?” he was asked.
Spezza, 26, just shook his head.
“It’s not my place to defend him,” Spezza said. “He’s making his decisions for a reason. He feels like Ottawa isn’t a good fit for him anymore, and he has to stand by that.
“Obviously, reaction from people isn’t going to be favourable in Ottawa but we have to move forward as a team. If they trade Dany, then we have to move forward and become a better team without him. If he’s back — and we’ve picked up a couple of good players — we’ve got to move forward with him.”
Heatley, of course, would rather move forward without the Senators. Citing his “diminished role” and differences with coach Cory Clouston, Heatley requested a trade back in May.
The Senators tried to deal the disgruntled sniper to the Edmonton Oilers, only to have Heatley invoke his no-trade clause.
After two months of silence, the 28-year-old finally held a press conference Friday to tell his side of the story.
“I didn’t really see the whole thing,” he said. “But I’ve known where Heater stood the whole way. I think all the guys on the team know where Heater stands.
“Hopefully the team can accommodate him and we can just move on come training camp.”
Spezza politely fielded every query about his unhappy linemate. But personally, his focus rests solely on convincing executive director Steve Yzerman to name him to the Canadian Olympic team.
Clearly, Spezza has some work to do in that department after being left off the original list of 46 invitees to the camp.
The newlywed received a late invitation on Aug. 11 as a replacement for the injured Ryan Getzlaf.
“It’s kind of a bit of an eye-opener,” said Spezza, an alternate at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. “Maybe I have to do some things a little bit differently.
“I didn’t see a really big reason why I should be left off the list. There’s obviously something I have to change in my game a little bit. It kind of motivated me a little bit and could turn out to be a blessing in disguise.”
Spezza is coming off a mediocre season, at least by his standards. A second overall pick in the 2001 NHL entry draft, he still ranked among the team’s top-three contributors notching 32 goals and 41 assists but had one of the worst plus-minus ratings at minus-14.
A second chance after an initial rejection may be the fire Spezza needs.
“I had a pretty good conversation with Steve after I was left off,” he said. “Some times things work out for a reason. I think I learned a lot from that experience.”
In 2001, Jarome Iginla received a last-minute invitation to the camp thanks to an injury to Simon Gagne.
Six months later, the future Calgary Flames captain ending up scoring two key goals in a 5-2 gold-medal victory over the United States at the Salt Lake City Olympics.
So Spezza, who knows he can still crack the roster, is aware of what the management team wants him to improve.
“I think they just want to see me be consistent, play a solid game and not be too high-risk,” he said. “But you’ve got to do what got you to where you are. Obviously, offence is my strong suit, so I’ve got to make sure I produce, and just try to be as consistent as possible.
“I feel like I can play at this level. Obviously, there’s some things I’ve got to prove to management and the coaches. But it’s a good opportunity for me, and it’s just a start.”
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