Domi retires

This comes as no surprise if you spent any time watching the Leafs last season, but Tie Domi will make it official this afternoon and retire from the NHL.

I can't remember a Toronto player who divided the fan community (or the dressing room, according to the rumblings) more than Domi. Minimally talented, a knack for self-promotion, a little guy who took on everyone and never backed down, businessman and philanthropist, a cheap shot artist, a political operator, Don Cherry's binkie, an actor -- and one of the longest-lasting hockey enforcers around, a species now on the endangered list, if not graduated on to at risk of extinction.

A few Youtube and other links to refresh your memory:

A young Domi takes on Bob Probert in 1992.

Domi in Philly, 2001.

Goonblog pulls one out from the time capsule, a 1993 ranking of the best fighters in the game.

Comments

[Carla]

One less cement-head in the league, boo hoo. Too bad he waited so long that he suffered such an ignominious end: a lousy final season (did he win ANY fights last season?!), being shown the door by his team, and then not signed by anyone else.

Wader, are you paying attention?

‘Don Cherry’s binkie’, heh-heh-heh…

[Julian]

Yes, it is great to see that the enforcer position is being phased out of the NHL. Domi definitely should have retired after the lockout when he saw he was not up to snuff (like Hull) but he kept on because JFJ (or Tanenbaum or Peddie) gave him a contract. Don't blame him for loving the game.

It is terrible to see people revelling in the retirement of a legitimately great guy. Yes, he made mistakes (Niedermayer) but he was great in the community and with the fans (except that Philly meathead).

And yes, he did win a fight last year. He tooled Chris Neal. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKCVytq00XU

[Leigh-Ann]

(did he win ANY fights last season?!), being shown the door by his team, and then not signed by anyone else.
-------------------------

Tie chose to not sign with a new team --"not signing" and "not signed" are two different things. Also, he spent all of last season with hand, shoulder, and hip injuries, so it's a wonder he attempted to fight at all.

[Carla]

I’m not ‘revelling in the retirement of a great guy’. If I’m ‘revelling’ at all, it’s at the retirement of a hockey goon, Julian.

And are you sure that fight you cite was from last season? (I don't remember.)

[Carla]

'Tie chose to not sign with a new team'

Well, that's his story, anyway. :-) Have we heard from any teams that were trying to sign him?

And even if he did have offers, perhaps he didn't 'choose' to sign with a new team because he knew he didn't have what the "new NHL" wants, Leigh-Ann.

Injured or not, I consider him an expensive waste of roster spot last season.

[Julian]

Ok, you think he was a goon. I think he was an enforcer with 2 "goon" incidents. The Leafs needed them in the 'old' NHL and Domi did a great job.

And I am about 99% sure that fight is from the last game against the sens last year. But you're right, his time as an enforcer had passed and he couldn't keep up. His body was failing and his lack of speed was exposed.

[Julian]

Carla, you're right. He was a waste of a roster spot that the MLSE brass foisted on poor Pat Quinn.

I actually did read a rumour that he was in talks with the Pens though. Maybe Chris knows better.

[Carla]

[sings]“You say ‘enforcer’, I say ‘goon’. Let’s call the whole thing off.”[/sings] ;-)

I don’t mind a scuffle that happens impromptu in a game when tempers flare. But a lot of this Neal/Domi-type stuff is just nonsense. I wouldn't miss it if it were gone.

[Carla]

'Maybe Chris knows better.'

Ah, but Chris is keeping his head down now. He lobbed the ball and now he's sitting back, giggling at us swatting it back and forth. ;-)

[Julian]

You have a lovely voice Carla.

I agree, the sooner Neal stops spearing and slashing and trying to start a fight before running away the better off the rivalry will be.

Although now it will be McGratton-Gill/Belak shenanigans.

[cy]

"Maybe Chris knows better" ... Surely you're joking there, Julian. Domi was flirting with the Penguins during his most recent contract negotiations, I know that. But this summer, I don't know -- and kinda doubt -- if anything like that got even to the heavy breathing stage. (I'm not exactly Hockey Guy, y'know.) I just sit here in the blog, watching the game of comments tennis.