Knights land Max Domi

To no one's great surprise, hot major junior prospect Max Domi has arrived as a member of the London Knights after failing to report to the Kingston Frontenacs, the team that drafted him a few months ago.
Max, a skilled forward and sure bet to have a pro career, postured about playing NCAA in the U.S. But whispers, nods and winks always had it that Doug Gilmour's Frontenacs and Mark Hunter's Knights would swing a deal.
The London Free Press has the story and an official press conference is on at the John Labatt Centre in downtown London as I write this.
Max starred for the Don Mills Flyers midgets and is expected to be a key cog in the offensive wheel of the Knights for three or four years. Landing him creates a team that should contend for the OHL crown a year or two from now - maybe even the Memorial Cup for the first time since Corey Perry led the team.
The next shoe to drop is whether or not Knights owners Mark and Dale Hunter will give Max's dad, Tie, a job with the club. Assistant coach, anyone?

Max Domi dance with Knights continues

Morris Dalla Costa of The London Free Press writes that the Max Domi saga is far from settled, and maybe has as much to do with a battle of wills between ex-NHLer and hockey dad Tie Domi and his ex-wife, Max's mom.
Seems mom favours a hockey and American university development program for Max.
Tie, maybe prefers the OHL, but only if it's the London Knights under the wing of Dale Hunter.
Former Toronto Maple Leafs captain Doug Gilmour, GM of the OHL Kingston Frontenacs, drafted Max one spot before the Knights got to pick in the recent minor midget draft.
Dramas like this play out often, but this one has gained special attention because Max is almost certainly a future pro.

Max Domi: Knights or nothing?

Interesting that the Toronto Sun's Steve Simmons suggested weeks ago that future pro Max Domi would only play major junior in the OHL if it could be with the London Knights. Interesting that famous dad Tie Domi is rumoured to be interested in becoming an OHL assistant coach and the Knights have an opening. Interesting that London Knights coach Dale Hunter and general manager Mark Hunter each played a style of NHL hockey Tie (and likely Max) admired. Interesting that London has a history of developing NHL-bound talent.
This story of a deal with Kingston is also interesting, as reported on London's AM 980 website.

Max Domi taken in OHL draft

Future pro Max Domi, the 15-year-old son of former Toronto Maple Leaf Tie Domi, was drafted in the first round by Kingston in the Ontario Hockey League draft, despite his dad insisting Max had decided to go the U.S. college route and that there was no "deal" that Max would change his mind if he could play in Kingston with Doug Gilmour's team.
Good to know trash talk is not limited to on the ice. Nevertheless, all the best to Max and his hockey endeavours.

Domi watch

Not many 15-year-olds generate a buzz like that surrounding Max Domi of Toronto, who is eligible for this year's OHL draft.
The Hockey News calls Max "easily" the best player at a recent NCAA showcase. And while the future seems to point to an eventual career with the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor (and who wouldn't want to play at Yost Arena?), some believe Max would play in the OHL if the right team drafted him. Rumour has it the only right team would be the London Knights.
We'll soon see.

Max Domi a London Knight?

Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun writes that maybe he was duped in reporting Tie Domi's son, Max, would be heading to the U.S. to play junior. Simmons says many in the OHL believe the impressive prospect will be drafted by my hometown London Knights and eventually play with them.
As Simmons says, time will tell. But can't you imagine proud papa Tie wanting Max to be coached by Dale Hunter?

Good hockey skills can be relative

Do genetics play a role in creating great hockey players?
Sometimes. Two of Gordie Howe's sons were good enough to play pro hockey and Marty was a great defenceman, if not truly a superstar. But there's no third generation of hockey Howes coming down the 'pike.
Bobby Orr's two sons, Darren and Brent, were not athletes despite the fact their father changed the way the game is played and, along with Howe and Wayne Gretzky, is the interchangeable answer as to who was the greatest player to ever lace 'em up in the NHL. None of Gretzky's kids have pro hockey potential.
But sometimes there is a second generation. One of the best 15-year-old players in Canada is Max Domi, the son of former Toronto Maple Leafs enforcer Tie Domi. Max is a skilled forward winding up his minor midget days in Toronto and planning to continue his education and play in the United States instead of playing major junior in the Ontario Hockey League. No one wishes to jinx a teen, but there's a lot of buzz about Max's potential.
The OHL Belleville Bulls have lots of players with dads who played in the NHL. Carter Sandlak, who played minor hockey for the London Jr. Knights, is the son of former Vancouver Canuck Jim Sandlak. Bjorn Krupp is son of Ewe Krupp, ex of the Detroit Red Wings. Dylan Corson is the son of Shayne Corson, who played for the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs and Dallas Stars. Dylan's uncle, by marriage, is Darcy Tucker, whose NHL career took him to Montreal, Tampa Bay, Toronto and Colorado. Andy Bathgate's father didn't play in the NHL, but his grandfather and namesake did - with the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins before finishing his pro career in the old World Hockey Association with the Vancouver Blazers.
Just for good measure, Belleville has the brother of an NHLer on the team, goaltender Malcolm Subban. Malcolm's brother, PK, is a rookie defenceman with the Canadiens.
So it seems sometimes at least hockey skills can be all relative.

Tie Domi an odd choice for minor hockey coach

Enjoyed this story in the Toronto Star about retired NHLers volunteering as coaches for the kids' minor hockey teams in the Greater Toronto Area.
The most interesting volunteer, of course, is Tie Domi. Domi, whose second language is HBO/Bruce Bourdreau, never met a hockey rule he couldn't break and gained publicity he didn't want over an extra-cirricular relationship with a billionaire Canadian politician, is an interesting role model for teenagers. I wonder how he did with the Speak Out clinic required of all adults volunteering with young people.
Nevertheless, Domi's 15-year-old son, Max, is a high skill player on the Don Mills Flyers and has a bright in either Ontario Major Junior or U.S. NCAA hockey.
Mentioning his son brings to mind the story from a hockey dad who witnessed Domi as a parent watching his son play at a Toronto rink. His loud, rude language made regular parents around him uneasy and shattered any notion that highly paid NHL pros always act with class in the community.
Better are the examples of people like former Maple Leafs captain Wendell Clark, who jokes his job on the bench as an assistant coach is to open the door and bring coffee.
Or ex-Leaf Tom Fergus (kind of surprised he chose to retire in the Toronto area), who notes that he chooses parents as much as kids when decided who makes his teams. Parents with reputations of being trouble through complaining or unrealistic expectations for their kids need not apply.
I wonder if that's how my son's coach in the West London Hawks organization chooses his players.