He’s one of the most well known players in hockey history. He set the record for the most fights in NHL history at 333 & he’s looking for one more… this time on The Roast stage.
@tie_domi is coming to #STARRCAST for The Roast of Ric Flair, The Nature Boy!
Join us in Nashville or watch LIVE & ON DEMAND on @fitetv!
🎟 l 📺: STARRCAST.com
Picking an ultimate villain for Flyers fans?
How about a guy who basically fought a fan during a game in Philadelphia? Not a bad choice.
When thinking of players despised by the orange and black faithful, Tie Domi instantly comes to mind — as does that not-so-hospitable visiting penalty box at the Wells Fargo Center.
Domi, a tough, in-your-face, penalty-minute-collecting winger who enjoyed a 16-year NHL career, scored only four goals for four points in 46 career regular-season meetings with the Flyers.
Playing the bulk of his career for the Maple Leafs, Domi made his imprint in Philadelphia with 238 career penalty minutes against the Flyers, his third most against any NHL team. He truly left his mark, though, on March 29, 2001, in a game at the then-First Union Center. After an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty during the third period, Domi went to the sin bin and became the recipient of some heckling (and maybe more). Domi retaliated by spraying a few fans with a water bottle, prompting fan Christopher Falcone to lunge at the protective glass between the stands and the box.
As the glass collapsed, a moment was born and the mystic of Philly sports fans grew. Falcone stumbled into the box and a fracas ensued with Domi and linesman Kevin Collins in the middle of it.
Toronto’s 2-1 victory became a subplot to the Domi-Falcone showdown.
To make the story crazier, Falcone opened up a lawsuit against Domi, Collins and Comcast Spectacor. However, the beef was eventually ended. In an episode of the Spittin Chiclets podcast, Domi explained how he orchestrated the two to meet before a game in Philadelphia. They got to know each other, hashed things out and Domi said he brought Falcone to Toronto for a playoff game against the Flyers.
Don’t think that the gesture fixed the whole Domi-Philly relationship.
In a fun twist, Domi’s son Max was actually a Flyers fan as a kid for a personal and meaningful reason.
Hockey is on hiatus, but the “Up In The Blue Seats” podcast with Ron Duguay is still going strong. We have a very entertaining episode this week with former Ranger Tie Domi, the NHL’s all-time leader in fights with 333.
Ron opens the show talking about what he’s up to during the quarantine, staying healthy, doing Cameos, and his ties to Domi, which include the China Club and Diana Ross.
Domi then joins Ron, Brett Cyrgalis and I for an in-depth interview.
Domi talks about where his toughness came from, his son Max’s style of play with the Canadiens, his dad’s role in his life, memories with the Rangers, fighting Bob Probert, and his minors fight with a chicken mascot. He also gets into his memories with Adam Graves marrying his cousin Violet and how that came about. Domi responds to whether he regrets asking for a trade the year before the Rangers won the Stanley Cup. The former Ranger discusses the changes in fighting in the game today, his friendship with Mark Wahlberg, doing TB12 workouts and his China Club memories with Wahlberg, Mario Lemieux and Ron dancing there with Ross. This is a must listen interview.
by Chris Ryndak @ChrisRyndak / Sabres.com
Rob Ray and Tie Domi went toe to toe 13 times in their NHL careers. Over the summer, the two sat down to review all those fights and look back at how the game has changed since their playing days.
With the Buffalo Sabres set to play the Toronto Maple Leafs in a home-and-home series this weekend, there isn’t a better time to premiere “Beyond Blue and Gold: Ray v. Domi.”
The two-part documentary will air Saturday night on MSG during the intermissions of the Sabres’ road game against Toronto. Faceoff is at 7 p.m. with pregame coverage starting at 6.
The feature will also be shown on the video board at KeyBank Center on Friday during the first and second intermissions when Buffalo hosts the Maple Leafs. Tickets for that 4 p.m. game are on sale now.
Rob Ray. Tie Domi. Welcome to the main event.
The epic documentary airs throughout each intermission of our game this Saturday against Leafs.#Sabres502,5693:55 PM – Nov 26, 2019Twitter Ads info and privacy567 people are talking about this
Mark Wahlberg and Alex Rodriguez retweeted it, so you know it’s going to be good.
Andrew Peters, who moderated the discussion, talked during The Instigators on Tuesday with Craig Rivet, Martin Biron and Rhett Warrener about what it was like to be on the arena floor as the fights played:
Alex Jones- www.stadiumtalk.com
The cliche is the hockey player’s jack-o’-lantern smile, the specter of missing teeth that no other pro sport embodies as much as the NHL.
Chief among those that dish out the pain are the enforcers, the men drafted to make their living protecting the superstar scorers. It’s a balancing act of brute force and finesse, of thundering checks and precision slap shots.
These are the toughest to play in the NHL, a collection of skaters and shooters who could take a hit and the men who delivered the biggest blows.
Note: All stats are from Drop Your Gloves and through Jan. 1, 2019.
#1: Tie Domi
Seasons in NHL: 16 (1989-2006)
Teams: Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, Winnipeg Jets
Career games played: 1,020
Career fights: 339
Plus/minus: -54
Stanley Cups won: 0
Bottom line: Tie Domi got into a fight on his first NHL shift, setting the stage for a career that would see him become the best-known brawler in the game. “That was my job … to protect my teammates,” he said.
His most famous blows included a sucker-punch knockout of Rangers defenseman Ulf Samuelsson in 1995 after Samuelsson repeatedly called him a “dummy,” and a vicious knockout elbow to the head of Devils defenseman Scott Niedermayer during the 2001 Eastern Conference semis.
Domi even got into a fight while in the penalty box (where he spent 3,515 minutes of his hockey career) when he sprayed a heckling Flyers fan with his water bottle and a second fan tried to scale the glass. The glass gave way, and the fan fell into the box with Domi, who promptly punched him several times.
Max, Tie Domi compare their styles of play on the ice.
By TAL PINCHEVSKY
FEBRUARY 3, 2017
Tie Domi and Jeff Chychrun’s most memorable fight came during a 1990 exhibition game in Orlando, Fla., when Domi was a member of the Rangers and Chychrun played for the archrival Philadelphia Flyers.
As the two went head-to-head during one of the last golden ages for N.H.L. enforcers, Domi absorbed a couple of right hands to the head before making a mocking pouty face at Chychrun.
Tie Domi hasn’t played for the Rangers in over two decades, but he remains one of the most popular members of the Blueshirts alumni. Fans loved his fearless attitude and his ability to stick up for his teammates often against players bigger than his 5-foot-10 frame.
NYRangers.com recently caught up with the NHL’s leader in fighting majors to talk about his time in New York, the way he played the game and what keeps him busy in retirement.
You spent three seasons with the Rangers. Favorite moment in New York?
TD: I was really figuring out my life and my career. I was living the dream. It was pretty cool to start my career in New York City. I learned as I went. I wouldn’t want my kids doing it that way [laughing], but it was a special time and a moment I’ve cherished for the rest of my life. The friendships and the bonds that I built while I was here I’ll never forget.
Fans still tell you you were their favorite player, and you always get a warm reception when you pop by. How special is that for you?
TD: I actually went to a function the other day at Pier 60 for for [multiple sclerosis] and my friend was being honored and they said I was there and when they mentioned I was there, the fans cheered really loud. There were Giants and there were Jets and there were other New York athletes. I haven’t done that in New York in a long time. It was a great feeling. It was so long ago but it feels like yesterday when people remember you and cheer you. I’ll always cherish those moments when fans come up to you. I feel blessed. There are very fond memories of not just my career, but starting my career in New York was a special thing.
You were a pretty feared player with some legendary bouts over the course of your career. How much pride did you take in filling that role on your team?
TD: That was honestly something that the guys in my era – we only knew one way. The guys that did what I did we all share that brotherhood that we dressed every game thinking we may have to take care of our teammates. That was our responsibility and those were our roles, to make guys accountable. We policed the game. That’s what I did.
The game obviously has changed, but having the most fights in NHL history is a record that I guess won’t be broken now. There were a couple of those with [Bob] Probert that were probably lifted up for, but the rest were either for my teammates or my team, whether it was protecting someone or changing the momentum of the game. That’s the only way we knew how to play the game.
Our mentality was just different back then. It’s just a total different game [today], and I think for the better.
Aside from watching your son Max with the Coyotes, what are you doing to keep busy now that your playing days have ended?
TD: I’ve got three kids so I’m focusing on my kids. I consult for some companies that I feel comfortable with and that I know I can bring value to. I’ve been around a while. I’ve been in the business world pretty much my whole career. I started doing business when my dad died and I was playing for the Rangers. After that summer I started in business. I’ve worn a lot of different hats and have done a lot of different things.
At this stage in my life, my kids are my focus. Obviously my son [in Arizona], and I have two daughters that are just as important to me. I have to balance all three and try and give them guidance the best way that I can.
Hello!
Just wanted to write to tell Mr. Domi that the boys that he stopped and spoke with at the Fairmount Royal York Hotel in Toronto on Thursday Jan 19th went ahead and won the Diamond Division at the Curtis Joseph Tournament in Newmarket!
Thanks so much for stopping and speaking with the boys!
Please tell Mr Domi that when he’s in Belle River the rest of the team would love to meet him!
Thanks
Lindsay
With the exception of alumni games and Slap Shot movie reunions, it’s taken just one generation to usher in the end of the tough guy in a faster, leaner NHL.
JOHN WAWROW – The Associated Press
Tie Domi is no different than any proud hockey father when it comes to worrying about his son.
Having spent 16 seasons establishing a reputation as one of the NHL’s fiercest enforcers, Domi fully appreciates the importance of protecting a team’s marquee players. What concerns him: Who has the back of his 21-year-old son, budding Arizona star Max Domi, at a time when the league has all but eliminated the role of on-ice policeman?
“Obviously, I don’t agree with it, especially having a kid in the NHL now and watching the so-called accountability factor,” Tie Domi said during the recent Centennial Classic weekend in Toronto. “We used to make people accountable. It’s definitely a different taste for sure.”
A sour one, too, after Domi’s fears were realized last month when his son broke his hand in a fight with Calgary’s Garnet Hathaway.
“It’s a learning lesson for him,” the elder Domi said. “Unfortunately, he has a little bit of me in him.”
With the exception of alumni games and Slap Shot movie reunions, where the Hanson Brothers will live forever, it’s taken just one generation — from Tie to Max Domi, for example — to usher in the end of the tough guy in what’s become a faster, leaner and far less gap-toothed era. The evidence was apparent in the Leafs and Wings alumni who took the ice last weekend: The game featured five of the NHL’s top 20 in career penalty minutes, including all-time leader Dave (Tiger) Williams (3,966 penalty minutes) and Domi, who ranks third (3,515).
“How many is there?” cracked Williams, wearing a cowboy hat and big silver belt buckle, when informed the game appeared to be a reunion of aging enforcers. “Well, good. They all showed up.”
Former Toronto star Wendel Clark smiled when asked if he’d consider taking a run at ex-Wing — and current Maple Leafs president — Brendan Shanahan.
“Oh, I don’t know. We’ve never hit a president before,” Clark said. “We’ve never gone that high up the ladder.”
The elder Domi was wearing a throwback leather helmet fit snug to his head following practice, a day before the alumni outdoor game. While holding court on the topic of enforcers, in a hallway at old Maple Leaf Gardens, he stopped mid-sentence to greet former Wings tough guy Joey Kocur. The two engaged in a big hug and a few playful taunts.
“You’re not scoring this year,” Kocur said.
“My mentor,” Domi replied.
How quickly hockey has changed wasn’t lost on ex-Wings enforcer Darren McCarty.
“The game is where it’s buddy-buddy now,” McCarty said. “The only talking over the red line back then is where you were (taunting) a guy or you’re setting up a fight because you say, ‘I’m coming.’ It was never pleasantries.”
McCarty joked he would have never had a chance to play today.
“It’s a different game. You’ve got to understand it’s a college, European-style game,” he said. “I guarantee you, if I grew up and had to play this game, I would be learning how to hit that curveball, because that’s what kept me out of baseball.”
The elimination of the enforcer has been based on a series of rule changes. It began with the NHL in 1992 adding a game misconduct for players who start fights. That led to what was called “show fighting,” where both players would agree to square off so neither would be considered the instigator.
The NHL cracked down further on fighting to protect itself and its players from growing concerns over concussions, and the debilitating toll of repeated punches to the head. Rules freeing up the game from clutching-and-grabbing styles of defence also placed a premium on faster, more skilled players, and further reduced the need for plodding fighters.
A comparison of penalty minutes alone reflects how drastic the change has been.
Heading into Saturday’s action, Dallas Stars forward Antoine Roussel led the NHL with 87 penalty minutes in 35 games. Three months into the 1996-97 season, Vancouver’s Gino Odjick had a league-leading 214 penalty minutes. Roussel’s current total would have been tied for 33rd with Anaheim’s Ken Baumgartner 20 years ago.
Clark has no trouble with hockey’s evolution.
“Basically, it’s whatever society thinks they want to see. That’s it. Society judges all of us,” said Clark, who scored 330 goals and racked up 1,690 penalty minutes during a 15-year career.
As with any sport, Clark said, the top players will adapt and marginal players get shunted aside. One of the alumni game highlights featured Detroit’s Kris Draper and Toronto’s Gary Roberts exchanging shoves and slashes before Williams, Kocur and Domi pulled the two aside before anything escalated.
Oh, the irony of seeing one-time enforcers stepping in to actually stop a brawl.
McCarty couldn’t help but laugh at seeing two hard-hitting forwards such as Draper and Roberts picking up on a rivalry dating to their playing days.
“It’s just second nature that they reverted back to 20 years ago for the moment,” McCarty said. “They’ll laugh about it now, but that’s just what made them great players, and I think you don’t see a lot of that these days.”
