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“That was a gutsy effort to come back,” said Stars head coach Lindy Ruff. “It was a tough hit.”

Spezza will retain the ‘Heater Visor’ when he returns to the Canadian Tire Centre Thursday for the first time to face his old club.

“I feel fine,” Spezza said after the Stars’ afternoon practice — a shiner building nicely under his left eye. “I didn’t feel very good last night, but felt better after skating (Wednesday).”

Naturally, the 31-year-old centre was asked what kind of reception he expects from Ottawa fans known for their love-hate relationship with the former captain.

“Fans are passionate, so I hope I’m remembered for giving my all and having some success here, but I expect them to support their team, too,” Spezza said. “They’ve always supported the club, but hopefully they appreciate that I gave everything when I was here and did all I could to help us win.”

About that. If only the Senators had cashed in one of those years – in 2003, when Spezza was the kid on the rise, or 2006 when Dominik Hasek went down, or 2007 when Spezza-Heatley and Daniel Alfredsson were the NHL’s top offensive line.

“We were so close for a three, four-year period there (and we) had as good a team as anybody in the league,” Spezza said.

As he told NHL.com in Montreal Tuesday, had the Senators won a Stanley Cup, “it all would have been rosy.” Instead, Spezza became the symbol and target of fan frustration. Ironically, he is developing into a more of a two-way centre, away from the glare of Canadian media and fans who would have wondered why his scoring totals are down.