Tie Domi, one of the NHL club's most popular players for a decade, has been bought out, and the Leafs have also opted not to exercise the option year on the contract of Ed Belfour, the No. 1 goaltender for the last four years.

To avoid paying Domi the $1.25-million US he was due in 2006-2007, Toronto is giving him two-thirds of that salary, $833,000 spread over the next two years, to sever ties.

The 36-year-old right-winger had been the club's enforcer for the last 11 years. He's fourth all-time in NHL penalty minutes.

"We want to thank Tie for his many years of service to the organization," said GM John Ferguson. "He became a fan favourite for a reason and we wish him well in the years ahead."

Domi scored only five goals last season. With fighting down and offence favoured in the new NHL, the Leafs decided it was time to close the book on Domi's tenure with the team.

"It's unfortunate, Tie wanted to complete his contract with Toronto," Domi's agent Pat Morris told TSN. "He signed a two-year contract last summer and did not move on. He had the opportunity to move to Pittsburgh on a three-year contract and chose to stay here and finish as a Maple Leaf.

"So to have the end of his Toronto career happen by a business decision and as Toronto indicates a hockey decision is tough, because Tie felt that there was certainly more in him to compete and get better with the Maple Leafs this year and hopefully finish on a good note in the playoffs."

Also, having recently acquired Andrew Raycroft from Boston, the Leafs announced they weren't exercising the club option on Belfour's contract for 2006-2007 that would have paid him $4.48-million US. He'll get two-thirds that amount.

Belfour, 41, missed the last portion of the regular season last spring with a recurring back problem. He won 22 of the 49 games in which he appeared and had a 3.29 goals-against average and .892 save percentage. He passed the late Terry Sawchuk for second place in all-time NHL wins with a victory last Dec. 19.

"Eddie added a lot to the Toronto Maple Leafs and we appreciate all that he did for us," said Ferguson. "At this stage, we are taking a different direction, and we feel privileged to have had one of the game's great goalies play for the Maple Leafs."

Domi and Belfour now become unrestricted free agents at noon Saturday.

Meanwhile, a familiar face - Gary Roberts - might be returning to the Leafs. The 40-year-old left-winger has a year left at $2.25 million US on his deal with the Florida Panthers, but they would trade him to his previous team for a third- or fourth-round draft pick to satisfy his desire to be closer to his teenaged daughter.