Philly crowd boos ex-Leafs enforcer Domi 23 years after penalty box fiasco
Known as one of the toughest scrappers of his era, former Toronto Maple Leafs winger Tie Domi became somewhat of a mythical figure in Philadelphia when he fought a Flyers fan in the penalty box back in March of 2001.
And although it’s been more than two decades, Philly hockey fans were reminded of the infamous incident on Tuesday night when Domi was in the house for the Flyers’ win against the Leafs.
During a third-period whistle break, footage of the ex-enforcer wrestling with a spectator who fell into the penalty box after a glass pane collapsed was shown on the jumbotron at Wells Fargo Center.
The camera then cut to Domi, whose son Max now plays for Toronto, sitting stone-faced in a balcony lodge.
Unsurprisingly, the 54-year-old was met with a sea of boos, but refused to react.
#Flyers fans give a warm welcome to Tie Domi đ pic.twitter.com/O3B9VofCG4
— David Alter (@dalter) March 20, 2024
But how exactly did the fan-player barrier get crossed in the first place?
Shortly after the original incident, Domi explained that fans behind the penalty box were taunting him and throwing objects his way. According to his account, Domi warned the official in the box before retaliating by squirting some water into the first row.
“They threw stuff at me. Once was enough. After the second one, I told the guy in the penalty box that after one more, I was going to squirt water. So I squirted water,” Domi said to reporters after the game. “I mean, I didn’t plan on fighting anybody.”
Those plans changed, though, after Philly fan Chris Falcone lunged at Domi from the second row, tumbling into the penalty box. Falcone ultimately needed stitches and was issued a citation for his actions.
Meanwhile, the Leafs forward had to be accompanied by a security guard during his next visit to the sin bin.
Domi, a Windsor native, concluded his lengthy NHL career with over 3,500 penalties, but those were certainly two of his most memorable.
Follow Channels and Categories