jason spezza brother

Former Maple Leaf Jason Spezza's younger brother Matthew dead at 37

Tragic news for the Spezza family, as Matthew Spezza has died.

Matthew, the younger brother of former NHL player Jason Spezza, was just 37 years old. He died of an "accidental overdose."

The Pittsburgh Penguins made the sad announcement on behalf of Jason, who is an assistant general manager with the team.

"On behalf of my family, it is with the heaviest of hearts that I share that my younger brother, Matthew, passed away due to an accidental overdose over the weekend," Jason said. "My family and I are heartbroken and ask for privacy during this difficult time."

Jason joined the Penguins last summer after working in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization. He played 20 years in the NHL with the Ottawa Senators, Dallas Stars, and Maple Leafs.

Born in Mississauga, Ontario, Matthew played high-level hockey as a goaltender. He never made it to the NHL but played major junior hockey in the OHL with multiple teams. He also played a couple of years of pro hockey with the Flint Generals of the IHL, last suiting up during the 2008-09 season.

Matthew made the news in 2009 as a Good Samaritan when he chased after a man who attacked a woman in Ottawa.

Lead photo by

The Hockey News


Latest Videos



Latest Videos


Join the conversation Load comments

Latest in Sports & Play

There's a secret forest boardwalk in Ontario

This small town in Ontario will transport you to Europe

Two new pickleball clubs opening in and around Toronto

This is what Canada's Wonderland looked like in the 1980s

Details emerge about Matthews' injury that kept Leafs star out of playoffs

Toronto will get a WNBA team for the 2026 season

Sheldon Keefe says Leafs 'deserve the Stanley Cup' in goodbye message to team

50 natural wonders to explore in Ontario this summer