For Spezza, change part of Stars building a contender

LAS VEGAS -- Jason Spezza will be back at center Sunday.
It's sort of the way of life for the veteran forward who will play regular-season game No. 1,019 of his career. There was a time when Spezza had a regular spot as a No. 1 center in Ottawa and was producing a point a game. And even in his first couple of seasons as the Stars' second-line center, he knew what to expect every game and had seasons of 50 or 60 points.
But at age 35, Spezza knows he has to be more adaptable. On Friday, he slid to the right wing to make way for the return of center Martin Hanzal, and saw his minutes drop to 9:56 -- a season low. He has played as much as 18:44, so he also can be a huge part of the Stars' attack.
"I definitely get it," Spezza said after Friday's 3-2 win over San Jose. "I wasn't as good tonight, so I didn't get the minutes. Other games, I've been better and I get more minutes."

The set-up is a fair one, and Spezza said he likes how coach Jim Montgomery is coaching to win every game, and looking at players who will help him do that. If a player is "going," in hockey parlance, he'll find a way to get on the ice more often. If he's not, he has to be ready to step aside and let the other players get more ice time.
Montgomery said he loves the way Spezza is helping him in his first season by setting a great example.

"Spezza has been great," Montgomery said. "When I look at people who are compelled to what we are trying to do, he's the No. 1 guy in that locker room. He says the right things, he carries himself the right way."
Spezza said he has great conversations with Montgomery, and the two have been very open about how things should be done. Montgomery knows Spezza can have challenges in the defensive zone, and he is very clear about his expectations.
"Him and I talk quite a bit," Montgomery said after Sunday's morning skate. "I told him I like him at wing, but I also like him at center. I told him, 'You're a center today, so you've got to dig in in the D-zone, because they go hard to the net.' "
Spezza said he likes to know what position he's playing before the game starts because it helps him mentally prepare for the match-ups and his job for the night, and Montgomery said he understands that. That said, the two also know that circumstances might mean he has to switch during a game.
Devin Shore often is a linemate with Spezza, and also has had to move from center to wing a lot. He said the players discuss assignments and that helps when they're making changes in the middle of a game or the middle of a shift.
"Once you get out of your own zone, the way we want to play, there's a lot of reading going on, so there's not so much positions as doing what you do well," Shore said. "For him, it's wanting the puck all of the time, and he can do that no matter what position he's playing. When you get in the D zone, that's when the adjustments are needed. But we can all adapt."

Shore said having a veteran like Spezza lead the way has been good for him.
"That's the culture we're trying to build," Shore said. "I've never made the playoffs and this team hasn't made the playoffs in a while, so we're going to do whatever it takes to get into the playoffs."
Spezza is in the final year of his contract, and has said he wants to keep playing after this season. Still, he also understands at age 35, his best opportunity is always the season he's in the middle of. With 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) in 29 games, his numbers are improved from last season, when he had 26 points in 76 games. He's also getting 14:13 in average ice time this season versus 13:00 from last year.
He said that while he sees all of the numbers and works hard to be better at the details of the game, the most important number is wins.
And with the Stars 16-10-3 right now, he's pleased to be a part of the process.
"You just try to be a good teammate," he said. "I think it helps the whole culture of things when guys see me open to anything, then I do think it creates an acceptance throughout the team that we're all open to anything. A lot for me is just showing I can accept any role I get."
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Mike Heikais a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika, and listen to his podcast.