Despite being a big-time cover athlete for 2K Sports’ latest NHL installment, Jason Spezza took the time to chat with Sportsnet.ca about playing video games and his expectations for the real-life Ottawa Senators this season.
SN.ca: Last season your coach juggled the lines a little bit in Ottawa. When you edit your lines in the game, who do you put on the wings?
JS: Coach had me play with Heater (Dany Heatley) and Alfie (Daniel Alfredsson) so I think I would keep the three of us together. We tend to play that way quite a bit during the season. The coach likes to change it around a little bit but those would be my two guys.
SN.ca: If you could pick any two players to play alongside you, who would they be?
JS: Other than those two? That’s a tough question. Off the top of my head: maybe Jaromir Jagr and Alex Ovechkin.
SN.ca: Born and bred in the Toronto area, do you ever use the Leafs in the game?
JS: Not any more. I used to when I was a kid. Now, when I play I tend to be Ottawa 95 per cent of the time. The other times, I’m just part of an All-star team or something like that or who ever it randomly picks. When I was a kid I was always the Leafs.
SN.ca: Which game did you play most as a kid?
JS: We played Blades of Steel quite a bit.
(Jason and Sportsnet.ca producer share a Blades of Steel moment …)
SN.ca: Who’s the toughest goalie to beat in the game?
JS: Marty Brodeur is usually pretty good, in real life and in those games.
SN.ca: Who’s your game breaker when you play with the Sens?
JS: Danny Alfredsson; maybe Dany Heatley; myself; any one of the three of us, to tell you the truth.
SN.ca: In 2K8, if you and Heatley go in on a 2-on-1 with the game on the line, do you pass or shoot?
JS: It depends: one-timers always work well in video games. Most of the time, the guy who has the puck has to straight-up pass it to the other guy. But usually I try to get the goalie moving.
SN.ca: Which team do you take the most pleasure in beating?
JS: I don’t know if there is a specific team but I take pleasure in beating my brother and (Senators teammate) Brian McGrattan. When you play, it’s not so much what teams you are, it’s more who you are playing against that you take pride in beating.
SN.ca: Other than McGratton, are any other of your Senator teammates big gamers?
JP: Ray Emery plays; Danny Alfredsson plays, but not as much as he likes to because now he’s got kids, but he’s pretty good though. Pat Eaves, too. We’ve got a few guys who play.
SN.ca: If you are playing franchise mode and you take the Senators to the finals, which Western team would you most like to meet? What would be a dream final for you?
JS: Now? Anaheim! We owe them after last season.
SN.ca: Have you ever dropped the gloves as Jason Spezza in the game?
JS: It takes a lot for him to drop the gloves because he doesn’t do too well.
SN.ca: Does it take as much in real life?
JS: It probably takes just as much. Every once in a while, I’ll get angry but it’s a little harder to do it in the game.
SN.ca: 2K8 has added some pretty in-depth features with regards to franchise mode. One of those options is signing players to a two-way contract. If you could sign any of your teammates to a two-way contract — just to have the option of sending him down — who would it be?
JS: Oh geeze, that’s a dangerous question. You don’t want to send anybody down. But I always joke around with Brian McGrattan that he’s going to get sent down, even though it’s obviously not very true.
SN.ca: Your rating in the game is a 90 (out of 100); do you think it’s realistic?
JS: I think my guy has gotten better throughout the years as my (real) performance has gotten better so 90 is pretty acceptable I think.
SN.ca: What button is it to undress Sheldon Souray?
JS: (Light chuckle) I don’t know; It’s the new Super-star moves that they’ve got, I guess you have to use one of those.
SN.ca: How about the real-life Senators? What are your expectations this year after making it to the finals last season? And what does the team need to do to go that last step?
JS: We have pretty much the same team so we expect to have a strong team. The most important thing is to get better as the year goes on; that’s what our focus is going to be. You have to build towards the playoffs and make sure you peak at the right time.
