Jason Spezza gladly juggling executive roles with Canada, Penguins’ farm club

Spezza is in his second season as Wilkes’ GM.

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Published May 27, 2026  •  Last updated 11 minutes ago  •  3 minute read

Part of Jason Spezza's role in the front office of the Pittsburgh Penguins is to serve as general manager of their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Photo by Chris Tanouye /Getty Images

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First thing we figure Jason Spezza does when he wakes up in the morning: Checks his phone.

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Many of us do it, but for Spezza, there has been a little more urgency in the past few weeks.

While Spezza has been overseeing Canada’s play at the world men’s hockey championship in Switzerland as part of Hockey Canada’s management group, he has kept a keen eye on the American Hockey League club that he runs in his executive role with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

That would be the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, who began the Eastern Conference final of the Calder Cup playoffs on Wednesday night at home against the Toronto Marlies.

Three years after going to Pittsburgh to continue working with Kyle Dubas following their employment with the Maple Leafs, Spezza is in his second season as Wilkes’ general manager.

“A lot of that is done from a distance, and it was part of me being allowed to commit and come over,” Spezza said during a phone interview from Fribourg on Wednesday afternoon. “I knew the team in Wilkes had a chance to go on a run and I expected them to.

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“But talking with Kyle (Dubas) about the opportunity with this, we felt comfortable because a lot of (the work with Wilkes) is done from a distance anyway. It has worked out well.”

What does Spezza think of facing Toronto?

Spezza has settled in nicely with the Penguins, and that he has a hand in guiding the club’s prospects with the AHL affiliate comes naturally. Given his encyclopedic hockey knowledge and the respect he garnered wherever he played during his 1,248-game NHL career, it should surprise no one that the 42-year-old Spezza is having success in post-retirement.

There’s no feeling of revenge on the part of Spezza, though, as the Marlies and Penguins clash in the best-of-seven series.

“I wouldn’t say it’s as big a deal as people would probably like to make it,” Spezza said with a chuckle. “I can’t say I spend a whole lot of time thinking about where we size up against Toronto. It’s more just trying to do what’s best for the Penguins.

“There is emotion when you leave a club, no doubt, but we’re three years out now and I would say that’s a bit of a distant memory with how fast things move in the NHL.”

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Spezza is proud of what the Penguins’ minor-league affiliate has accomplished, noting that it’s a young group that has had a hand in getting the team to the AHL’s final four. That includes AHL rookies Mikhail Ilyin, Harrison Brunicke and Bill Zonnon, who were among the team’s top seven scoring leaders prior to Game 1 against Toronto, as well as 22-year-old goalie Sergei Murashov, who had played in all nine of Wilkes’ playoff games heading into Wednesday night.

Spezza plans to hook up with the minor-league Penguins, likely next week in Toronto, as Games 3, 4 and 5 (if necessary) will be played at the Coca-Cola Coliseum.

Back to the current-day Leafs, even if just for a minute.

Why was it important to get Tavares for Team Canada?

In his role with Hockey Canada, Spezza said John Tavares was among the first players he called with an offer to suit up at the worlds. Morgan Rielly accepted as well.

“In terms of getting a guy who understands the event, JT’s professionalism, what he brings, we all know from being around him, he is a huge guy in that regard,” Spezza said. “Mo has had success in this tournament too. He has enjoyed being over here, playing, contributing to a winning team and has played good hockey.”

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Most pressing is a quarterfinal date with the United States on Thursday, after Canada went unbeaten (6-1-0-0) in Group B play.

“We haven’t lost yet, but we’ve been tested almost nightly, which is a great way to go,” Spezza said. “One of the fears when you go through this tournament is that you have blowout games and you don’t really get tested too much early and you’re faced with a quarterfinal where it’s winner-take-all.

“I’m happy that we’ve had the adversity. I think it will help us going into this game against a team in the U.S. that started the tournament slow but has played better and better.”

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