Domi Chooses With His Heart

Leaf enforcer Tie Domi is back with the team he has played with over the past nine NHL seasons. Domi and the Toronto Maple Leafs have agreed on a two year, $2.5 million deal that will keep the rugged forward locked up through his sixteenth season in the NHL.

Reports had been saying that Domi was actively looking at Pittsburg as a potential suitor but when Andre Roy signed with the Penguins earlier today, that all but terminated their interest in the Leaf tough guy.

It is very infrequent that a player will choose a team with his heart instead of his chequebook: see Gary Roberts and Joe Nieuwendyk, but in this case it appears that Tie Domi did. He reportedly turned down a three year, $4.5 million deal from another team to stay in Toronto. Domi’s better days may well be very much behind him leaving fans to question whether the Leafs overpaid, even at that price, for a winger who has averaged a mere eight goals per year in his career with the Leafs. Despite the fact Domi will sometimes leave fans scratching their collective heads as they try to remember just why they keep him around, after this gesture, there will certainly not be any question of Domi’s desire to compete for the Maple Leafs. For that, I will give him credit. Now let’s see some production.