But to the 100 kids invited to the Air Canada Centre yesterday morning for Tie Domi's Santa on Wheels charity event, the Leafs forward is now their favourite NHLer.

For the ninth year, Domi teamed up with Santa to give thousands of toys to about 1,000 homeless kids in the city.

More than 100 of those kids had the day off school yesterday and were bused from six city shelters to the ACC to catch Domi and the Leafs in action at practice before meeting him and getting a signed photo and a bag of toys.

"The kick I get out of it too is that many of them don't know who I am," Domi laughed after meeting all the kids. "But hopefully this will make their Christmas a little more special."

But sisters, Shiann, 7, and Jaden, 6, knew exactly who they were meeting.

Wearing tiny Leafs jerseys, the girls were beaming when they met Domi.

Describing the meeting as the "most exciting thing ever," Shiann had a gift to exchange with Domi.

Having taken some hits from the older kids for the team's win-loss record, Domi told the girls he'd keep the teddy bear as a good luck charm.