Tie Domi was simply legendary, and you never knew what would happen every time he stepped onto the ice. For example, not many players can say they’ve fought a fan—in an NHL penalty box. But one time, Domi revealed what happened after the infamous altercation, and it proves just how awesome he really is.
In March 2001, one of the most legendary moments in NHL history occurred. But it wasn’t because of a team winning or a spectacular goal—it was because of a fight. And it wasn’t just any fight. Tie Domi had just been sent to the penalty box after roughing up Luke Richardson in retaliation for a hit on Domi’s teammate, Darcy Tucker. Domi was an easy target for opposing fans, but this time, things went a bit too far.
Chris Falcone, a die-hard Philadelphia Flyers fan, started mocking and heckling Domi from the stands, sitting right beside the penalty box. Eventually, Tie Domi turned around and splashed some water on Falcone and other fans. In response, Falcone tried to reach over the glass to grab Domi, but instead, he lost his balance and fell into the penalty box—where he ended up trading punches with Domi.
Tie Domi’s legendary penalty box fight
A few years ago, Tie Domi appeared on the 94WIP Morning Show (H/T Sportskeeda) to talk about the incident. He was proud of how things were handled—and he also revealed something few people knew: He actually invited the fan to several Toronto games afterward.
“How did we solve it? We solved it like two street guys,” Domi said. “No lawyers, no nothing. We shook on it. You came with your family to two playoff games in Toronto. I put you up here, everything is good now. I’m really glad it all worked out, and people really have to know the truth about what happened. You’re a great guy and a family guy, and I’m happy everything is behind us.”
Speaking on the show, Tie Domi also revealed that he got more fan mail from Flyers fans than from any other fan base in the league.
“The fan mail I get from the Philly fans is just incredible. It’s more than any place in the whole league, to tell you the truth,” Domi said. “I played it up in Philly, especially for the fans. They were on me, and I would kind of taunt them too, so it was a lot of fun.”
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