Tie Domi's ream of retiring as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs vanished when he was bought out of his contract this summer.
And with no other NHL teams interested in his services, the veteran winger finally hung up his skates Tuesday to take a job with TSN on their weekly hockey broadcasts.
"This broadcasting opportunity is a way for me to stay involved with the game," Domi said Tuesday. "What you saw on the ice is what you'll see on Wednesday nights from coast to coast.
"I'm the type of guy that doesn't vanilla it. They might have to have six-second delay when I first start."
Domi, 36, who celebrated his 1,000th game in the league last season, was one of the game’s best brawlers and a fan favourite wherever he played. But in a new NHL that rewards skill more than skirmishes, his $1.5-million US price tag was too high for a fourth-line checker.
"The change in the game, the rules, the way it was going to be called, the transition game the speed, those things didn't play to his strength," Leafs general manager John Ferguson said when he bought out Domi for $833,333 US over the next two years.
Domi said he fully understood why the Leafs let him go.
"I'm not bitter at the game," Domi said. "I'm not bitter at the Toronto Maple Leafs at all.
"Business is business. I was fortunate to play here a long time."
Domi had just five goals and 16 points last season and was benched for the first time in his 10 years as a Leaf. His 109 penalty minutes represented his lowest total since the 1989-90 campaign.
In an effort to prove he is more than an unskilled brawler, Domi set about to reinvent his game this summer. He began working out with a personal trainer five times a week, started eating healthy and cut back on his business commitments.
But it didn't pay off with an offer.
Domi retires as one of the most celebrated enforcers in the history of the NHL. His 3,515 career penalty minutes put him behind only Tiger Williams and Dale Hunter on the all-time list. And in Toronto, where Domi spent 10 seasons, he holds the single-season (365) and career (2,265) record for penalty minutes.
Domi also played with the New York Rangers and Winnipeg Jets.
The Windsor, Ont., native was chosen in the second round (27th overall) of the 1988 NHL draft by the Leafs, for whom he played two games before being dealt to the Rangers.
