Tie Domi

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox ice hockey player Tahir "Tie" Domi (born November 1, 1969) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Known as an enforcer, he played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, and Winnipeg Jets over a 16-year NHL career. He is the Maple Leafs' all-time leader in penalty minutes, and he is third overall in penalty minutes in NHL history. He is also the player with the most fighting majors in NHL history, with 333.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Playing career

Minor and junior

Domi was born in Windsor, Ontario, to Albanian parents,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=1000th>Template:Cite web</ref> and grew up in nearby Belle River (now part of Lakeshore).<ref name=belle>Template:Cite web</ref> As a child, he played minor hockey for the local Belle River Rink Rats of the Ontario Minor Hockey Association. When he was 15, Domi played for the Belle River Canadiens of the Great Lakes Junior C Hockey League, later moving up a level the following year to play with the Windsor Bulldogs of the Western Junior B Hockey League.<ref name=belle />

At the 1986 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Priority Selection, he was drafted in the seventh round (102nd overall) by the Peterborough Petes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Domi began his major junior career in 1986–87, spending his first year as a part-time player with the Petes, while also appearing with the nearby Peterborough Roadrunners in the Metro Junior A Hockey League.<ref name=belle /> In his first full season with the Petes in 1987–88, he recorded an OHL career-high 22 goals and 43 points over 60 games, to go along with 292 penalty minutes, earning a reputation as an enforcer.<ref name=belle/><ref name=1000th/>

During the off-season, he was selected in the second round (27th overall) by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Upon his selection, Domi returned to the Petes for one more season of junior, recording 14 goals and 30 points over 43 games.<ref name=belle />

Early professional career

Domi turned professional in 1989–90 with Toronto's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Newmarket Saints, recording 14 goals and 25 points over 57 games, along with 285 penalty minutes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He also made his NHL debut that season, appearing in two games with the Leafs in which he accumulated 42 penalty minutes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the off-season, he was traded to the New York Rangers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He split the subsequent year between New York and their AHL affiliate, the Binghamton Rangers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> During his 28 games with New York in 1990–91, he scored his first NHL goal on March 23, 1991, against the Philadelphia Flyers.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> After playing a full NHL campaign with the Rangers in 1991–92, Domi was traded early the following season to the Winnipeg Jets.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Toronto Maple Leafs

In 1995, Domi was traded back to the Toronto Maple Leafs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> That year, he famously knocked New York Rangers defenceman Ulf Samuelsson unconscious with a sucker punch to the face. Domi was suspended 8 games and heavily fined for the incident, described by some as one of the cheapest shots in NHL history.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Domi insisted that Samuelsson provoked the punch by repeatedly calling him "dummy".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the 1997–98 season, Domi set a Leafs single-season record with 365 penalty minutes, passing a mark set by Tiger Williams in 1977–78.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

During the 2000–01 season, Domi was involved in an incident with a fan during an away game on March 29, 2001, against the Philadelphia Flyers.<ref name=fanfight>Template:Cite web</ref> Sitting in the penalty box, Domi used his water bottle to spray water at a heckler, prompting another Flyers fan, Christopher Falcone, to begin yelling at him and climbing up the glass.<ref name=fanfight /> The glass panel gave way, and Falcone fell into the penalty box and Domi then grabbed Falcone and punched him several times.<ref name=fanfight /> After the game in an interview, Domi said to the media, "It's nice to see the fans get involved, I guess."<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Domi was fined $1000, the maximum allowable at the time by the NHLPA's collective bargaining agreement, but received no suspension.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

On May 3, 2001, in the closing seconds of Game 4 of the 2001 Eastern Conference Semi-finals, well away from the play, Domi threw an elbow at the head of New Jersey Devils defenceman Scott Niedermayer, knocking him unconscious.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Domi was assessed a game misconduct and the following day, was suspended by the league for the remainder of the playoffs, with the condition that if Toronto did not advance to the following round, then Domi was to sit out the first 8 games of the 2001-02 NHL season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Toronto was eliminated by New Jersey in Game 7, and Domi's suspension subsequently carried over into the following season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On June 30, 2002, ahead of his unrestricted free agency, Domi's rights were traded to the Nashville Predators by Toronto for Nashville's 8th round choice (Shaun Landolt) in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Nashville was unable to sign him, with Domi later re-signing with Toronto as a free agent on July 13, 2002.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He had his best season in the 2002-03 NHL season, when he set career highs of 15 goals and 29 points.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In what turned out to be his final season of 2005–06, Domi scored his 100th NHL goal.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Also, Domi played his 1,000th career NHL game, on March 3, 2006, against the Buffalo Sabres.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Seven days later, on March 10, 2006, Domi was a healthy scratch for the Maple Leafs' game versus the New York Islanders, which was the first time since the 1999 playoffs that he had been made a healthy scratch by coach Pat Quinn.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Domi stated publicly that he was not happy with being benched, a fact that was underlined by his staying in his hotel room, not arriving at the game until after the second period and was widely regarded as a contributing factor in the decision to buy out his contract.Template:Citation needed

On June 30, 2006, the Maple Leafs opted to buy out the final year of Domi's contract.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He became a free agent on July 1, 2006.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Without a contract several months later, Domi announced his retirement on September 19.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Domi is the all-time NHL leader in fights with 333.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Off the ice

Media and entertainment

During his NHL career, Domi also appeared in three films, playing a role in the 1999 independent film Men of Means, while also making a cameo appearance in the hockey-themed drama Mystery, Alaska. In 2007 Domi played himself in a season 2 episode of Canadian sitcom Rent-a-Goalie titled "Domi Daze".

Following his retirement, Domi accepted a position in broadcasting with The Sports Network (TSN),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> a stint that lasted less than a month.

In October 2009, Domi began competing as a pairs figure skater on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reality show Battle of the Blades with Christine Hough.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Domi is currently a spokesperson for Comwave, a telecommunications company.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Soccer and Canadian football

Domi has also been involved in soccer and Canadian football at the professional and semi-professional levels. He was scouted by the University of Michigan for both sports while in high school.<ref name=faqs /> He played a full season for Kosovo of the Canadian International Soccer League during the summer of 1995, and appeared in two pre-season exhibition games as a placekicker for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League.<ref name=faqs>Template:Cite web</ref>

Family

Domi has three children from his marriage to his ex-wife, Leanne: daughters Carlin and Avery Rose, and son Max, who is a current NHL player.<ref name=divorce>Template:Cite web</ref> Domi's 13-year marriage ended in divorce in 2006.<ref name=divorce /> In 2017, he married Heather McDonough, and the couple live in New York City.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Controversy

During the 2012 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, an international under-18 competition Max was participating in, Domi allegedly stole a video camera belonging to a Swedish coach, who was recording the Canadian team's practice – a legal practice. Domi took the unmanned camera before later returning it without the battery.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Career statistics

Bold indicates led league

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1984–85	Belle River Canadiens	GLJHL		28	7	5	12	98		—	—	—	—	—
1985–86	Windsor Royals	WOHL		42	8	17	25	346		—	—	—	—
1986–87	Peterborough Roadrunners	MetJHL		2	0	0	0	10		—	—	—	—	—
1986–87	Peterborough Petes	OHL		18	1	1	2	79		10	0	0	0	20
1987–88	Peterborough Petes	OHL		60	22	21	43	292		12	3	9	12	24
1988–89	Peterborough Petes	OHL		43	14	16	30	175		17	10	9	19	70
1988–89	Peterborough Petes	MC		—	—	—	—	5		2	0	2	2	26
1989–90	Newmarket Saints	AHL		57	14	11	25	285		—	—	—	—	—
1989–90	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		2	0	0	0	42		—	—	—
1990–91	Binghamton Rangers	AHL		25	11	6	17	219		7	3	2	5	16
1990–91	New York Rangers	NHL		28	1	0	1	185		—	—	—	—	—
1991–92	New York Rangers	NHL		42	2	4	6	246		6	1	1	2	32
1992–93	New York Rangers	NHL		12	2	0	2	95		—	—	—	—	—
1992–93	Winnipeg Jets	NHL		49	3	10	13	249		6	1	0	1	23
1993–94	Winnipeg Jets	NHL		81	8	11	19	347		—	—	—	—	—
1994–95	Winnipeg Jets	NHL		31	4	4	8	128		—	—	—	—	—
1994–95	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		9	0	1	1	31		7	1	0	1	0
1995–96	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		72	7	6	13	297		6	0	2	2	4
1996–97	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		80	11	17	28	275		—	—	—	—	—
1997–98	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		80	4	10	14	365		—	—	—	—	—
1998–99	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		72	8	14	22	198		14	0	2	2	24
1999–2000	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		70	5	9	14	198		12	0	1	1	20
2000–01	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		82	13	7	20	214		8	0	1	1	20
2001–02	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		74	9	10	19	157		19	1	3	4	61
2002–03	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		79	15	14	29	171		7	1	0	1	13
2003–04	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		80	7	13	20	208		13	2	2	4	41
2005–06	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		77	5	11	16	109		—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				1,020	104	141	245	3,515		98	7	12	19	238

See also

• List of NHL players with 1,000 games played
• List of NHL players with 2,000 career penalty minutes

External links

• Template:Ice hockey stats
• ESPN The Magazine profile on Domi
• Template:IMDb name