Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Define "Retire"

Today's National Post (29.08.06) has a story about Tie Domi contemplating retirement.

If he decides to retire, Domi would do so as one of the most celebrated enforcers in the history of the NHL. His 3,515 career penalty minutes put him behind only Tiger Williams and Dale Hunter on the all-time list. And in Toronto, where Domi spent 10 seasons, he holds the single-season (365) and career (2,265) record for penalty minutes.
I'm not going to get into the whole "I'm going to retire a leaf"thing, but the cynic in me wonders if retirement is a decision that's really up to Domi. Can one contemplate retirement if you don't have a job and no other organization offers you employment. Hasn't the decision been made for you?

One other item from the Post also jumped out at me:
In an effort to prove he is more than an unskilled brawler, Domi set about to reinvent his game this summer. He began working out with a personal trainer five times a week, started eating healthy and cut back on his business commitments.
Perhaps if Domi had taken that approach to improving his game during the lockout year we wouldn't be discussing the semantics of Tie's golden years or, more importantly, the impact of a costly buyout against the team's cap.

3 comments:

  1. A sense of entitlement really does wonders for a marginally skilled NHL player, eh?

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  2. You said it Ninja - and he's got 833,333 reasons not to cry about it for the next two years...a nice little golden parachute to help ease the pain

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  3. Anonymous4:32 pm

    Aye, but looking at Laraque's deal, I bet some mentally challenged GM out there would be willing to sign Domi...but with a that nice buyout, and all the business deals he has in Toronto and how cushy his life is set up I don't see him leaving.

    And yes, I don't think Domi has any reason whatsoever to cry about anything...although watching him in the playoff a few years ago against New Jersey he was electrifying...up until he elbowed Niedermayer in the head.

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