Toronto Maple Leafs' Max Domi got a special birthday phone call from Wayne Gretzky
All Toronto Maple Leafs forward Max Domi needed to snap his goal drought was a phone call from the Great One.
Domi entered last night’s game looking for his first goal in 26 contests. He broke the streak, on his birthday nonetheless, in the first period when he opened the scoring in an eventual 6-5 overtime win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
When asked postgame how nice it felt to finally see one go in, Domi dedicated the goal to an unlikely source: Wayne Gretzky.
“Last night, I got a call from Wayne Gretzky with my pops wishing me a happy birthday,” Domi told reporters. “He said make sure you shoot the puck; I’ll be watching tomorrow. A guy like that, Wayne Gretzky’s the greatest player of all time; he’s why I play hockey.”
“To get a call from a guy that is literally the best ever on my birthday, it’s pretty special. To pot one, even though it was a complete tap-in, that one was for him. Super grateful, and like I said, he makes me so proud to be Canadian.”
Gretzky has been criticized in the media lately for his silence against his friend and U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated comments about making Canada the 51st state.
Janet Gretzky, Wayne’s wife, recently shared her thoughts on the criticism and revealed that Wayne is “heartbroken” by those questioning his Canadian pride.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MAX DOMI š
Maple Leafs lead 1-0. pic.twitter.com/wpgNtc2i55
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) March 2, 2025
The two points secured against the Penguins helped the Maple Leafs jump into first place in the Atlantic Division. They’ve won five straight games and are 8-2-0 in their last 10.
Domi has four goals and 24 points in 52 games this season, on pace to fall below the 47 points he scored with the Leafs last season. Perhaps this latest goal will help him start a streak, as the last time he scored, he scored goals in three consecutive games.