Today In NHL History - Jason Spezza's Illegal Stick

On March 9th in 2009, Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Ron Wilson called for a measurement of Jason Spezza's stick, down one goal with two minutes to play. Suspecting something was afoot, the Senator snapped his stick and headed for the bench. Referee Stephane Auger followed the forward and confiscated the contraband.

Making no secret of shaving his blades, as described in this interview one year earlier, Spezza was assessed a two minute penalty for the infraction.

Aware of the illegal blade all season, Wilson described the stick as dangerous and explained that he wanted to reward his players for their efforts in a hard fought edition of the Battle of Ontario. Ottawa held off Toronto on the ensuing powerplay to win by a score of 2-1.

That's today in NHL history.

* See also Today In NHL History - McSorley's Illegal Stick.
* See also Today In NHL History - Willie Mitchell's Long Stick.