Lawsuits might be flying before pucks in the Ottawa-Toronto NHL playoff series.

It all started Tuesday afternoon with banter by an Ottawa radio station host that turned into suggestions that Maple Leafs enforcer Tie Domi hits his wife. Don (Dandyman) Romani of The Team 1200 apologized Wednesday, calling his remarks a failed attempt at humour.

While the Dandyman was eating crow 400 kilometres away, Domi's agent Pat Morris was working up a head of steam. He called the comments "slanderous and line-crossing," while Maple Leafs GM John Ferguson Jr. called them "potentially actionable."

Domi declined to talk about the matter after practice Wednesday.

"I have no comment on it whatsoever," said Toronto's tough fourth-line forward. "It's a disturbing thing but I can't let those things bother me at this time."

Romani apologized on air Wednesday.

"I made reference to Tie Domi and a member of his family. It was intended to be humorous and in fun and it was neither. It was a mistake," Romani said.

"I want to apologize to Mr. Domi and his family and I'm very sorry for my comments, which were to say the least very distasteful.

Romani also said he planned to make donations to two shelters for abused women.

On Tuesday, Romani and co-host Tim (Buzz) Kilpatrick were discussing a Toronto newspaper story on Domi's wife, Leanne.

"One would suspect that she could take a good punch," said Romani, according to the Ottawa Citizen.

When Kilpatrick objected to that, Romani said: "I'll bet you his idea of aerobics is to bang her around a bit once a week."

He made a third reference in the same vein.

The station said it will reprimand Romani, but wouldn't discuss specific punishments.

The real games begin Thursday night (CBC, 7 p.m. EDT).

But the insult game already is hot and heavy.

The animosity between fans of the regional rivals often exceeds that between the players on the ice, and the players are trying to ignore the insults.

"We've got a veteran group here," said Domi. "We've been pretty good at blocking things out and just focusing on what our task is

"I'm not too well-liked (in Ottawa), obviously. But if I was well-liked, I wouldn't be doing my job. I don't let those things bother me. I don't let things distract me."

Morris said he would talk to Domi about possible legal action against the Ottawa radio host.

Ferguson said he didn't hear the remarks when they were delivered or any recording of them but, from what he'd been told, they were ``low-class, offensive at best, and potentially actionable, obviously.

"We take it very seriously," he said. "But make no mistake, that's not going to distract us from our mission and our goal. We're here to win the Cup and that kind of stuff can be dealt with at the appropriate time."

He was asked if the ratcheted-up rhetoric had gone too far.

"Those types of comments say more about the speaker than the subject matter," he said. "We'll leave it at that.

"We're ready to play, I know that. I'm not sure where it all goes but this (series) will be tremendous for hockey. It's going to be a great series. We're looking forward to a tremendous start (Thursday night).

The verbal darts will continue to fly and the off-ice distractions will multiply, and Ferguson and his players know it.

"We've said it from the start: the club that can handle that best, remain disciplined and remain focused on the task at hand will be successful," said Ferguson. "We're confident it will be our club."

Domi was outspoken on another matter.

Senators forward Peter Bondra was quoted in Ottawa as saying of the series, "It's going to be a war, I guess."

With U.S. marines dying in Iraq, Domi finds the analogy inappropriate.

"I think using the word war is getting a little stupid, especially for this rivalry," said Domi. "I don't think it should be used.

"It's not appropriate. I think out of respect to the real war that is going on it shouldn't be used and media people should think about that, too.

"Those guys are fighting a real war. I think it's insulting and disrespectful to them. What we do is a game. It's a hard-fought game, a physical game and those are things we should talk about. That (war) word shouldn't be used in this series. It's not right. It's disrespectful. There's people losing their lives over there in a real war."

But Ottawa's Marian Hossa kept up the military theme.

"I'm sure it's going to be a long series and it's going to be a battle," said Hossa.