Tie Domi | all news and articles about the NHL fighting legend

Tie Domi

Tie Domi is a former NHL player and one of the greatest enforcers in NHL history. He played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, and Winnipeg Jets during his 16 years in the league. He remains the all-time leader in penalty minutes for the Maple Leafs’ franchise and ranks third overall in the NHL. Tie Domi also holds the record for the most fighting majors in NHL history, with 333. He is the father of current NHL player Max Domi.

Tie Domi Early Life

Tahir "Tie" Domi was born on November 1, 1969, in Windsor, Ontario. He was born to Albanian parents and started playing minor hockey for the local Belle River Rink Rats. At age 15, Domi played for the Belle River Canadiens of the Great Lakes Junior C Hockey League. At 16, he advanced to the Windsor Bulldogs of the Western Junior B Hockey League. Domi was selected 102nd overall by the Peterborough Petes in the 1986 OHL Priority Selection.

According to legend, the Petes’ scouts saw Domi play only a single shift before deciding to select him. During that shift, Domi got into a fight immediately, proving to the scouts that he had what it took to succeed as an enforcer. In his first year in the OHL, Domi recorded 292 penalty minutes. He quickly earned a reputation as one of the top young enforcers in hockey. However, Domi was more than just a brawler—he also tallied 43 points in 60 games during his first year with the Petes.

In the 1988 NHL Entry Draft, Domi was selected 27th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Tie Domi in the NHL

Domi made his NHL debut in the 1990-91 season. Although he only played in two games that season, he accumulated 42 penalty minutes. He was traded to the New York Rangers in the following off-season. After playing a full NHL season with the Rangers in 1991-92, Domi was traded to the Winnipeg Jets.

In 1995, Domi was traded back to the Toronto Maple Leafs. That season, he famously sucker-punched Ulf Samuelsson, an incident that earned him an eight-game suspension. Domi spent the remainder of his NHL career with the Maple Leafs, primarily serving as the enforcer and protector for superstar captain Mats Sundin.

Domi retired as the NHL’s all-time leader in fighting majors (333). His 3,515 penalty minutes rank third all-time, trailing only Dave Williams and Dale Hunter. Over the course of his career, Domi faced off against some of hockey’s toughest players, including Bob Probert, Rob Ray, and Dave Brown.

Tie Domi Family

Tie Domi was married to Leanne Domi for 13 years before their marriage ended in divorce in 2006. They have three children: daughters Carlin and Avery Rose, and son Max Domi, who currently plays for the Toronto Maple Leafs. In 2017, Tie Domi married Heather McDonough.