Editing Jason Spezza (section)

===Junior===
Spezza played for the [[Toronto Marlboros]] in 1997, recording 114 points in 54 games.<ref>{{cite news|title=Getting to know Jason Spezza|date=January 1, 2006|newspaper=Fairbanks Daily News Miner|location=Alaska|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/sports-clipping-jan-01-2006-1626345/}}{{free access}}</ref> At age 15, Spezza began his [[junior hockey#Major junior|major junior]] career in the [[Ontario Hockey League]] (OHL) with the [[Brampton Battalion]] in [[1998–99 OHL season|1998–99]], under a rule permitting the then-underage player to play on his hometown team. He scored at more than a point-per-game pace as an underaged player with 71 points in 67 games.<ref>{{cite news|title=Spezza Clearly Special: could he be the next One?|last1=Turner|first1=Randy|date=December 15, 1999|newspaper=Winnipeg Free Press|location=Manitoba|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/sports-clipping-dec-15-1999-1626332/}}{{free access}}</ref> He subsequently became the youngest player ever to participate in an OHL All-Star game at age 15.<ref>{{cite news|title=The Next One?|date=December 5, 1999|newspaper=Nashua Telegraph|location=New Hampshire|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/sports-clipping-dec-05-1999-1626321/}}{{free access}}</ref> After one season with the Battalion, he was required to enter the OHL Priority Draft and was selected by the [[Mississauga IceDogs]] in the team's second season in [[1999–2000 OHL season|1999–2000]]. He recorded 61 points in 52 games that season before requesting a trade and subsequently being dealt 15 games into the [[2000–01 OHL season|2000–01 season]] to the [[Windsor Spitfires]].<ref>{{cite news|title='Dogs Deal Spezza|last1=Spencer|first1=Donna|date=November 16, 2000|newspaper=Medicine Hat News|location=Alberta|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/sports-clipping-nov-16-2000-1626327/}}{{free access}}</ref> Spezza went on to record an OHL career-high 116 points in 66 games that season.

Entering the [[2001 NHL Entry Draft]] having been named the Top CHL Prospect,<ref>{{cite web |title=Spezza headlines CHL Top Prospects game |url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/spezza-headlines-chl-top-prospects-game-1.283812 |website=cbc.ca |access-date=April 3, 2020 |date=January 18, 2001}}</ref> Spezza was drafted second overall by the [[Ottawa Senators]], after [[Ilya Kovalchuk]] was selected by the [[Atlanta Thrashers]]. The second overall pick originally belonged to the [[New York Islanders]] but was traded to Ottawa (along with [[Zdeno Chára]] and [[Bill Muckalt]]) in exchange for [[Alexei Yashin]] on the day of the Draft.<ref>{{cite news|title=Yashin Trade First in Busy Draft Day|last1=Long|first1=Mark|date=June 24, 2001|newspaper=Doylestown Intelligencer|location=Pennsylvania, Doylestown|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/sports-clipping-jun-24-2001-1626340/}}{{free access}}</ref> 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.<ref name="first_contract">{{cite web |title=Sens sign Spezza to multiyear deal |url=http://www.oocities.org/colosseum/2654/sept6.html |website=oocities.org |access-date=April 3, 2020 |date=September 6, 2001}}</ref>

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.<ref name="first_contract" />