Tie Domi is a true legend in the game of hockey, and as the owner of 333 fighting majors, more than any other player in NHL history, there are plenty of stories about him.
Domi was a complete nightmare to play against, always getting under his opponent’s skin, always in your face, never letting anything slip.
But as much as his opponents hated playing against him, his teammates loved him. Domi was an enormous fan favorite in Toronto, and he was a loyal and generous teammate in many ways.
And he just so happened to be a great hockey player as well.
Domi is one of Toronto’s big sporting icons, and although he’s most known for his time spent as an NHL tough guy, he did actually have success in a completely different sport. And it even led to him getting his hands on not one but two Grey Cup rings.
Domi traded in his skates for football cleats during the ’96 and ’97 pre-season. He had been involved in soccer and Canadian football at professional and semi-professional levels and was scouted for both sports while in high school.
During those pre-seasons in the mid-90s, Domi appeared in two pre-season exhibition games as a placekicker for the Toronto Argonauts, but it came with a price.
”They said, ’Will you do this?’ And I said, ’Great idea. I’d love to do it. But under one condition. If you win the Grey Cup, I get a ring.’ They said, ’Done. Deal.’ And they win the cup. I got a ring,” said Domi on the Raw Knuckles podcast.
”The next year again, they said, ’Domi, you want to do it again?’ I said, ’Sure, I would love to get another ring.’ And they said, ’You get a ring if we win two.’ They did it again! I got two Grey Cup rings, and zero Stanley Cup rings,” Domi said, laughing hard.
When appearing on the podcast, Domi also revealed that his longest field goal during high school was a whopping 58 yards.
”But I’ve got over 60 in practice!” Domi said.
