TORONTO – The Air Canada Centre holds a lot of memories for Coyotes forward Max Domi. Most of them were created when his father, Tie, played in the building for seven of his 12 years as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Doan currently plays with Max Domi and spent a good portion of his career playing against Tie. Having seen so many young players come and go, Doan has been impressed with the incredible amount of poise displayed by his younger teammates, including Max.
“I’m huge fan of all of our young guys and all of their talent and skill, but I’ve been more impressed with their character,” Doan said. “They all have the potential to be guys that last for a really long time and have great careers.”
Debuts at Air Canada Centre are often special moments for players from Ontario. Domi showed little emotion when addressing the media but couldn’t ignore the moment completely.
“I’m excited for sure, I’d be lying if I told you I wasn’t. But I’m just trying to control that and not let my emotions get the best of me,” he said. “I was obviously a Leafs fan growing up. Being part of the atmosphere here is awesome.”
“He’s grown up in this setting his whole life,” Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said. “Even when you look at his time in London, those are like NHL games down there.
“He’s a dynamic player that has had an impact. Every game he’s played, he’s had an impact.”
There is possibly no other player more ready for the moment of playing in Toronto than Max Domi. He knows his way in and around the rink after watching his dad take part in numerous morning skates. His father was on the team that christened the building when it opened in February 1999.
“The morning skates were pretty cool and meeting guys like Bryan McCabe, Mats Sundin and Gary Roberts, the list really goes on,” Domi said. “I was able to shoot on a few goalies. Cujo (Curtis Joseph), Ed Belfour and Glenn Healy after morning skates. That was pretty special too.”
Once the game began, the young Domi was less interested in watching than honing his own skills. “During the games, I wouldn’t watch them, I was usually playing ministicks in the wives’ room. After the game, Wade Belak would come down and I’d play with him. Those are probably at the top of my list when it comes to special memories.”
On Monday night, Max Domi added to those memories with more of his own making.
