32 Thoughts: The Podcast - Max Domi

Episode Date: March 29, 2023

He’s skilled and has his dad's edge. Max Domi was a first-round draft pick in 2013 and is in his 8th season in the NHL. He has made his way around the league but contributed everywhere he’s played. He joins Jeff to talk about his new club in Dallas, the situation with his teeth, why he’s always been a pass-first player, finding the right stick, growing up around great hockey players, his obsession with shoes, and playing under Pete DeBoer.Email the podcast at [e-mail] or call The Thought Line at 1-833-311-3232 and leave us a voicemailOutro Music: RealLiveAnimals - EmptyListen to the full track hereThis podcast was produced and mixed by Amil Delic, and hosted by Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman.Audio Credits: NBC Sports Chicago, Root Sports and Sportsnet.The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

It's my first time wearing 18. It's weird not seeing you at 13. I know. And that's for maths, right? Yeah. I've only worn two numbers in my whole career, 13 and 16. 16 was for Robbie Clark and 13 was for maths. Well, Elliot, here we are once again, interview time.

Max Domi of the Dallas Stars. Welcome to 32 Thoughts, the podcast presented by GMC and the Sierra AT4X and the law firm of Friedman, Merrick, and Delich. So today, a conversation that I had while we were in Dallas, Elliot, with Max Domi of the Dallas Stars. Trade deadline, acquisition, someone that we wondered, would he re-sign with Chicago? Would he be on the move? As players like Garnett Hathaway andanner janeau and players that played with a little bit of bite tyler bertuzzi as these types of players became available around trade deadline

they were gobbled up quickly i would imagine there must have been other teams as well looking for the services of of max domi what comes to mind when you hear his name right away max domi first of all there's no way this interview could have been that good because i was great on it What comes to mind when you hear his name right away, Max Domi? First of all, there's no way this interview could have been that good because I wasn't on it. It was great. It was excellent. Actually, I have to say Amal gave it rave reviews. Amal gave it rave reviews, and I know Amal's not lying.

So I'm looking forward to hearing it because one of the things I think about with Domi is that because he comes from a hockey family, obviously, and because he's had a lot of experiences, I think about a guyomi is that, you know, because he comes from a hockey family, obviously, and because he's had a lot of experiences, I think about a guy who's pretty worldly and has a lot of perspective on things. And I've always felt that way about him. And I've heard that this interview really reflects that. When I think about Domi, I just think about a guy who we've kind of grown up with, right? You always heard about him, you you know ty played in toronto he was a very popular player like there was a time when domi played there for a good chunk of it where his

was the third highest selling jersey on the team behind sundine and joseph slash belfort right so like he was he was an extremely popular maple leaf and and Ty would be around. It kind of reminded me a little bit like when Del Curry played for the Toronto Raptors, Steph Curry was around. You would see him shooting sometimes after practice. So even before Steph Curry became the superstar he is, he was always someone who you kind of looked out for. Max Domi, same way. Even before he became the NHL that he is, he was always someone you kind of looked out for. Max Domi, same way. Even before he became the NHL that he is, he was always

someone you kind of looked out for. Ty would be at his minor hockey games. He goes up through the Ontario Hockey League. He becomes a first round draft pick. He moves through the NHL. He's always been a great quote. As we tape this, Dallas is in chicago to play the blackhawks and there's video i think of domi coming out to watch the morning skate and all of the chicago players going by the bench just to say hi to him right he's always been a really popular outgoing guy and that's what i think about with domi like just a really engaging uh friendly person he's great he's a wonderful interview uh i'm with you the one thing that stuns me about max domi and again this is sort of betraying my age and i've watched him like you did saw him

around the rink saw him playing with the don mills fly of the GTHL. Somewhere along the way, Max Domi became a veteran. Yeah, good one. And I've always thought of Max Domi as a really, really, you know, young, bubbly, up-and-coming, you know, fresh-faced hockey player. Max Domi's 28 years old. Like, I don't know what the transition age is from, you know, young kid to wily vet, but it feels weird. But Max Domi is a veteran in this league and a highly sought after veteran as we saw at

trade deadline. In this interview, he'll talk about a number of different things, whether it's his teeth, whether it's his stick, whether it's Matt Sundin and Bobby Clark, whether it's Mario Lemieux. We think you'll really enjoy this. Before we do the interview, I want to give a special thanks to Joe Calvillo and the entire Dallas Stars organization

for being as welcoming as they were, and they really were, and opened their doors for us the entire time that we were there. Joe and your staff, big thumbs up from everybody here. Max Domi on 32 Thoughts, the podcast. Listen to the 32 Thoughts Podcast ad-free on Amazon Music, included with Prime. First of all, Max, thanks for doing this on an off day. So from this little perch,

it's much appreciated. The floor is yours. Your thoughts on Dallas. It's awesome. I mean, I haven't been here for that long, to be honest. Uh, played two games and then went on the road for whatever it was, 12 days.

Um, so a great way to get to know the guys, not necessarily a great way to get to know the city, um, and everything that goes with it, but, uh, so far, so good, honestly, like great restaurants, great

people, organization's awesome. The staff's great. And ultimately the teammates, when your teammates are awesome, which good. Honestly, like great restaurants, great people. Organization is awesome. The staff's great. And ultimately the teammates. When your teammates are awesome, which they always are, it just makes everything else much easier. See, that's interesting because you're a player. Like I look at, you know, when I hear the name Max Domi,

I think he's involved. Like you're involved in plays, physically, emotionally, like all of it. Like you're a very engaged hockey player. And when you're like that, you make enemies on the ice pretty quickly. What's it like you're a very engaged hockey player and when you're like that you make enemies on the ice pretty quickly yeah what's it like going what was it like going to dallas you've played hard against the dallas stars previous are there any is there you know mending offenses when you join a new team it's hilarious because i mean no one ever really like

holds that against you but i think deep down they're like oh i hated that guy and guys have told me where they're like dude i hated you playing against you you're just you're so annoying um but like then you become really really good buddies really quick too so i mean that's usually how it works everyone i've ever i mean hated on the ice it's a strong word but that's what we use around here and you always end up loving the guy when you meet him in person so that's just how it goes was there someone on dallas you're like oh this guy and then he turns into this guy, oh, this guy, and then he turns into, this guy's awesome. You go on a 12-day road trip, like, this guy's awesome. I mean, obviously Jamie Benn's a guy that, like,

no one likes to play against. I mean, he's such a good player, one. But two, he's just a monster, and he's tough as nails. As far as I'm concerned, he's one of the toughest guys, if not the toughest in the league. And he'll do whatever he has to do to kind of get in your kitchen, you know. But he's a guy that has a lot of respect around the league. So certainly had our battles over the years,

but a guy that I've always respected and just really happy to be on his side of things, you know, now. And it's funny too, because like, I put her this brother back when I was in Montreal and Jordy's great. Like he's one of the biggest beauties I think I've ever played with. And he always would talk about his bro. I'm like, man, like your brother's a nightmare to play against. But we always have a good chuckle about that. They're both great guys and super pumped.

I've gotten a chance to play with both of them now. You mentioned Slam in a short time since you've been here in Dallas, but was there or are there a couple of guys, one guy that you look at and you say, I knew he was good, but I didn't know he was that good. A lot of them. First, I'll go with the offensive side of things. I mean, I guess there's probably six or seven guys I can say that for, but that top line with Hintz, Robertson, and Pavelski, all three of them,

I knew they were unbelievable players, but the plays these guys make, I mean, man, like they just see everything out there. It's like there's three Sedins on the ice. It's unbelievable. And you see them in practice, like they just see everything out there. It's like, there's three Sedins on the ice. It's, it's unbelievable. And you see them in practice, like off the rush, they just make these little like two to three, sometimes five foot plays. And they're always putting it in areas and they're skating into it. And that comes with a lot of time and chemistry, I think.

So, uh, it's one of the best lines in hockey. You can make an argument. It's, I mean, it's right there with the, with the best of them, you know, and I don't think they get nearly enough credit hints with his speed and his skillset is, is incredible. Robo's, uh, the best of them. And I don't think they get nearly enough credit. Hintz with his speed and his skill set is incredible. Robo's ability to score one, everyone knows that. But just how smart he is. He's a big kid too. I didn't realize how big he was.

Then I was walking behind him. I mean, I'm not that big, obviously. I'm pretty small. But I was walking into one of the first games that I played here. I was like, who is this guy in front of me? He's massive. And sure enough, it was Robo. And then joey's i mean he's up there i've heard obviously a lot of great raving reviews about him as one of the best teammates there is and he's exceeded my expectations

which is tough to do because i've heard amazing things and he's first class all the way let me ask you about pavelski pavelski to me is fascinating personally i think he's got a hall of fame career and he's going in no doubt i look at pavelski and i say not. Personally, I think he's got a hall of fame career and he's going in. No doubt. I look at Pavelski and I say, not the fastest skater, not the hardest shot. Like you take all the individual, maybe the best tipper. I'll give him that. Like no one tips pucks like Pavelski. But I look at everything that goes into making a hockey player. And I say, there's not like one skill that really stands out other than he competes so hard.

Every shift, every puck and is so smart. Yeah, I mean, you nailed it. I think everyone sees the tips and stuff that obviously he works on every day. I've seen that firsthand. It's pretty cool to watch. I watched it yesterday. It's a lot of reps.

People think when you practice, it's five minutes. He's out there for 15, 20 minutes a day. And whether it's early or after practice, I mean, he's always locked in. And I think that stemmed. I've always asked him a lot of questions about that. And him and Bernsie back in the day in San Jose and Jumbo,

they had a pretty good thing going there. And he's like, man, Bernsie is a machine. He'd just sit there and shoot like 300 pucks, and I'd just sit there and tip them all. So, I mean, it's pretty fascinating what he's done with his career. He's a guy that around the league is respected by everyone, and everyone knows how good he is. And I think everyone's kind of cheering for him to get the ultimate prize and win a stanley cup because

that would just be a cherry on top of a heck of a career for him he'll go down as one of the best american players for sure of all time and the other guy that i didn't get to talk to on that last question you asked was uh miro heiskanen honestly like i knew how good this guy was just especially from playing against him a little bit when i I was in Columbus, we had the same division with the shortened season and the bubble and all that stuff. So I played against him quite a bit, and I was like, man, this guy is so smooth. He's unbelievable.

But now playing with him, like you see him play 30 minutes a night. He's the best player on the ice every single game. It's absolutely absurd. I mean, you see McDavid get the puck and take off through the neutral zone. There's really no one that can keep up with Connor. Everyone knows that. And there was a play where I just saw Miro take two strides and he just kind of kept his

stick right there and I was like, wow. That is absurd. And honestly, everything he does, he makes so many incredible plays and he makes everyone around him better and we're very lucky to have him here. I think he's one of my favorite players to watch and definitely to play with. So he's unbelievable. Alright Max, I want to ask you about teeth let's first of all let's see the smile

okay what do you think how did that happen so funny it was like literally four days before i got traded so these guys in dallas only know me as the guy with no teeth but before literally right before that i had i had pretty nice teeth to be honest with you. But one of my good buddies, Scott Harrington from, I mean, way back in London. Yeah, defenseman. He was my captain. He was my ride to the rink every day when I was 16 and 17 years old. We were very, very close. He was like a brother to me, honestly, back then.

Anyways, I was kind of with Andreas Hath in a shoe going to the neutral zone, and double A kind of threw a puck this way, so I kind of tried to go around him. And Harry just decided to swing his stick a little bit higher and like square in the face. And I just like went down. Keep a look at Max Domi here, especially in the grill area. Stick from Harrington goes right up. Pow.

No. Are those some chiclets falling out of the center, right? Spitting chiclets, dude. Oh, I'd be upset if that happened to me also no call and oh yeah not only was it these two teeth here was like the top four and then the bottom four like it was just a big hole i mean don't read words everyone but i think you know i think we know what he's saying and oh man in san jose we got a couple teeth on the ice with max domi that's an occupational hazard of the job. I went back to the bench, and there was no penalty.

I'm like, what? Guys, I have no teeth. What do you think? I just did this myself. So, I mean, honestly, man, like, it's a new look for sure. Yep. My girlfriend and mom aren't huge fans of it, but, I mean, hey, I don't mind it. Lisp is a little bit annoying sometimes when you're trying to articulate some words, but it's also kind of funny. You look at yourself and it makes you

laugh. Listen, Bobby Clark special in your life. And now you got the Bobby Clark look, right? Very true. Relationship with your team's dentist is what now? Good. I think. Yeah, no, I mean, I think it had to be good. Cause it was like my second day here that I met with the dentist. He was like the first guy i met so um no pretty good in in dallas uh the anaheim one took care of me originally san jose i just didn't have time because we're flying out right away to back to back so i was just kind of like all right thanks see ya like he's like yeah yeah that's not very good but you'll deal with it tomorrow okay and then chicago obviously was like all right we're gonna book you in for an appointment tomorrow.

And tomorrow was the day I got traded. So it was a bit of a, like a week long wait for me to get these teeth fixed. And this is fixed, believe it or not. Like the two holes, that's what they call fixed nowadays. So it is what it is.

Any chirps, any players telling you you can, oh look, Max Domi can eat an apple through a fence now. It's so funny. What's that kid's name? A really good player in Buffalo, the defenseman, the big kid, Samuelson. Yeah, Matias Samuelson.

I don't know. I said something to him. Again, just me being me. Said something stupid probably. And he looked at me and it was like my first game without both teeth. And he's like, dude, shut up. Look at your smile or whatever. Something like that that i can't

really repeat exactly what he said but i was like damn i wasn't prepared for that one it's my first game with no jibs so i gotta go back to the drawing board just to be ready for that one but uh yeah no he got me good with that one i guess i want to ask you about pete deborah yeah and managing the bench i talked to pete yesterday and one of the things that i was talking about is like there are two teams that I look at who manage their bench better than other teams. One is Boston, the other is Dallas. You look at the forwards. Everyone's under 20

minutes. All four lines go. All four lines play. Jamie Ben's having a great season. He's under 16 minutes a game. The minutes are really even. That's a Pete DeBoer thing. This goes back to Florida Panthers. What's he like to play for? He's unbelievable. That's a Pete DeBoer thing. This goes back to Florida Panthers. What's he like to play for?

He's unbelievable. I mean, Pete's great. I think everyone in that room loves him. And I think when you have that, I know it's his first year in Dallas, but everyone's kind of bought into his systems. And they have a certain way of playing here. And the reason why everyone's playing under 20 minutes and sometimes under 15, 16 is because you really can't play that much because the way you play is very high pace, very high energy. We're going north a lot and we're

competing. I mean, if that puck gets turned over, you got three guys, I mean, on their horse trying to race to get back to D zone and put pressure on the puck. So there's a lot of intangibles that go with that in terms of the ice time and being able to manage that but he's he's great he's he's very very positive very enthusiastic on the bench and kind of just injects energy into our lineup i've certainly enjoyed my my short little tenor here so far with him and not just him too i mean naz is great on the back end he's super positive funny guy and and spotter's awesome too i mean both those guys are kitchener legends so you're not allowed to talk about kitchen rangers guy it's tough pill to swallow but uh no no they're awesome i really

enjoy my time with him so far and i'm learning a lot let me ask about you i mean you're you're a veteran in this league just crazy yeah it doesn't feel like because i still like i'll be honest with you maxi i remember watching you with don mills like flyers like this's, you know, like, going to be 30 in a couple of years and he's a veteran in the league. Like, I'm curious, like, at what point did the league get comfortable for you? Like, there's an awkward transition phase. Like, at what point were you like, yeah, man, I got this league? Early on in Arizona, obviously, I had some success

and loved playing there, loved my teammates and whatever. But after, like, a couple years in the league, you start to get the hang of things and you realize, okay, I can do this, you know what I mean? I can be a player in this league and I can help these teams win. And then once you start getting bounced around a little bit here and there, then it gets a little tricky because you're always having to adjust on the fly. And that's just me being honest with you.

It's not easy. Obviously, no one wants to get traded a lot, but when you're in the situations that i've been in with shorter term contracts and just trying to find that right fit but then ultimately also getting a chance to play for some two great teams whether it was in carolina at the deadline and now another chance with with dallas to win a stanley cup i mean those are opportunities you can't pass up right and you just got to make the most of it but um like you said time does fly like it's it's it's absurd to think that i was 20

years old i mean eight years ago now i mean like i'm getting old it goes fast and i think you realize you realize how fast it goes and how much you have to enjoy every day because it is a privilege to play in the best league in the world and um it goes quick so you got to enjoy every second of it what's your relationship now with officials? We're doing this interview the night after the Seattle game. And there were a couple of things. There was a goal called back. There was an incident with your stick that got slashed out of your hands.

And the official tried to give it back to you. And you'd already gone to the bench to get a stick. And I'll be honest with you. I thought he was going to throw a penalty at you. Yeah. I thought, I'm just curious, like, because you're a robust player, right? Like you're, like I mentioned, you're an engaged guy. What's your relationship like with the officials?

It's a great question. And like you said, obviously a pretty emotional guy. And that being said, I am being kind of hard on myself when I say that, but because I do have a big heart and I do care about everyone. So I'm not a guy that wants to scream and yell at any official, you know what I mean? But they're also your best buddy in the time you need them to,

and they are great guys. They have a tough job. They have a really tough job. They're trying to ref a game that's moving at a really high pace, and there's a lot of emotions in it. Obviously the fan bases are pretty crazy, so you do got to give them the benefit of the doubt for sure. But there are some times where tempers do flare a little bit. And I think when I was younger, I had a harder time controlling that and honing that in a little bit. So might've

started off on the, on the wrong foot with some guys. But I think as you get older, you'll learn to be quick to apologize and be real quick to assure them that, Hey, I'm sorry. I just, my emotions got the best of me, which is the truth. You're not trying to snap on anyone like that, and you're not trying to disrespect anyone ever. But that's just how the game is. And it works for them too. They're like, hey, man, sorry.

My temper's fired up there too. And it kind of works both ways. And just that kind of mutual respect for one another, I think, is how you have to handle it. And like I said, I have gotten a lot better. But, I mean, last night, for instance, prime example, it's going to go your way sometimes and it's not going to go your way the other time.

So it's a matter of just kind of riding that fine line, you know? That's so funny because you know who told us the exact same thing? Two years ago at the Players Tour in Chicago, Sidney Crosby. I asked Crosby, I said, you've had this spectacular career, like a Mount Rushmore career right hockey anything you regret and he said if I could do it all again I wouldn't have gone at the officials as hard as I did when I started in the NHL he's like yeah I've done a lot of apologizing that's the goat telling you that too so I mean it happens the best of us there you go prime example i look at you max and i say

this game in a lot of ways is evolving towards your style of play there are some players that i look at around the league and i say the way he plays fits every single team you're one of those guys you're a skill player you can skate and you're awful to play against like you're just this terrible to play against miserable to play against and Like you're just this terrible to play against, miserable to play against. And it's interesting because you look at this year's trade deadline and those were the most valuable players. Like everybody wanted, I'll just be blunt, everybody wanted to get a prick.

And some teams wanted to get two or three of them. And when you can play the way you can, skate the way you can, and you have that other side, that edge to you, that's really valuable like do you find that the league is trending more towards that direction because this year trade deadline was fascinating everybody wanted those guys yeah yeah for sure um i mean everything you said is accurate 100 the game is so fast now and there's there's a lot of more like puck possession type stuff and you need to have guys that can escape but also guys that can think the game and make skilled plays.

But that being said, once playoff time comes around, you need some hard-nosed dudes that can do all that stuff but also mix it up in terms of play hard, get in corners, and be hard to play against because it's all about winning, right? And if you're one of those guys, obviously this year seemed to be a year that was in favor to those kind of players. And I just got to be one of the beneficiaries of that because obviously a chance to play in Dallas. And that's all I'm really focused on is an I'm here.

I'm a Dallas star and I'm just trying to help this team win a Stanley Cup. So it is a huge honor and a huge privilege to get picked up by one of the best teams. And it's a great opportunity, right? You got to make the most of it. So, I mean, like you said, if that's why they brought you in, you better do your best job to showcase all that and do whatever it takes. And sometimes teams just think they have a little missing piece

here and there, and if you're what they think they need, then go out there and get it, you know? There's one thing that you do that I've always marveled at, and we saw it in the Memorial Cup against Portland. Your between-the-legs sauce pass to Bo Horvat, which is still legendary. One of the greatest passes I've ever seen. You want to talk about sick, and I mean sick skill.

Watch what Domi does with this puck. It's right in his feet, but he goes between the legs to get it to Horvat. And that's why these two guys are going to be high first round NHL picks. Sorry about your luck, Damian Cox, but Domi will go on the top 15. I can promise you right now.

And here's why. Look at this move between the legs. Over to Horvat. He's got it tied up between his feet. This is sensational right here. I'm running out of real estate. That's okay. I'll just go between the legs.

And it's a sauce pass at that. Great job there by Horvat to finish it off. That is a highly skilled goal by two National Hockey League first-round picks. Simply sensational. A little lucky, but. And I thought, like, wow, you know what? That's the best pass I've ever seen Domi make. And then the game against Seattle, not last night, the previous game,

overtime, Tamir Haskinen, long bomb, beautiful sauce pass, lay it perfectly on the blade. Yeah. Dallas is going to end up winning the lay it perfectly on the blade. Yeah. Dallas is going to end up winning the battle. You get the steal, but the pass from Domi across. There's the battle up high. Sauce up and over Schultz, waving the stick, but right on the tape of Haskin, and he ends up beating Grubauer far side.

But, I mean, you've got to give credit to that pass I mean it's through the air good two feet in the air lands perfectly on Haskin and stick they won the battle and if you're Seattle we talked about Pavelski and working on tips is that something that you work on or that's just something you've always had a lot of coaches have been all over me about that because i've always been a pass first guy and i think that probably stems from my mom if i'm being honest with you really she's just a very giving person and and i mean she's more happy when she sees someone else doing well than herself and it's not to say that i'm the exact same as her but um for whatever reason since i've been a young kid i've always got a real good feeling when i see someone else score and and you're the reason why

you're helping them do that versus scoring i scoring, I was always like, not insecure, but it sounds weird to say, but you're just like, oh, you don't want that attention kind of thing. Seriously? It was weird, man. As a kid, that's just how I felt. I love setting up the boys. On 201s, I would never shoot. I'd always pass, and my dad would absolutely lose his mind.

At one point, and this is a true story, he had two people text or call me. I don't remember which one it was. But Matt Sundin told me he would just be like, but enough with the passing. Shoot. If you're going to make the NHL, you've got to learn how to shoot. So that was one guy. And then the second guy, who's one of the best,

if not the best all-time hockey player, is Mario Lemieux. And he said, but they don't pay you for assist they pay you for scoring goals and that was when i was like seven eight years old so like obviously like i mean his mind was was a little further down the road but two obvious obvious legends that haven't been all over me about shooting the puck since i was a real young kid but again like i said i love passing um i love i mean thinking the game that way. But at this level, it is a fine line because sometimes you can overpass, and that's something that I've definitely struggled with. There's a time to shoot, and you do have to be selfish at some point.

So it's something I've been working on for sure, but of course passing has just always come natural and something I've enjoyed doing. So working on sauce passes, forehand, backhand, just making little plays here and there is something I've enjoyed doing so. Working on sauce passes, forehand, backhand. I mean, just making little plays here and there is something I've always worked on in practice and back on the backyard rinks and in pond hockey for sure. It's awesome.

It's so much fun to watch. Tell us about your relationship with Matt Sundin. I mean, this stretches back a long time when your dad played with him. Yeah, I mean, Matt is essentially a godfather to me. I mean, this guy is someone that, I mean, after my dad, he's one of the first people that I would call

in terms of getting advice for hockey or anything. I mean, whether it's off the ice or on the ice, he's my first call. He's helped me a lot with my off-season training program. We keep in contact.

He watches most of my games for sure. Obviously, I'm always trying to keep in touch with him and his family and checking on the kids who are growing very fast, but it's insane. It's something that I look back on, and you don't realize how special something is until you step out of the little bubble for a second.

When Matt Sundin's the guy you're calling all the time, that's not necessarily normal. You realize all your teammates were like, not everyone has access to that. He gets to call Matt Sundin. Exactly. It's something that, again, I don't take for granted and I'm very grateful for and thankful for

because he's not only a Hall of Fame hockey player, but a Hall of Fame human being too. And he's someone that I lean on a lot. This is going to sound like a dumb question, but I think you understand what I'm getting at here. How much has your dad helped you? And I'm not saying here, how much has your dad helped you? Like not, and I'm not saying like, not just because, you know, your, your name plate says, this says Dolmy and second generation players,

but I've always felt that your father never got enough respect for being a good player. Yep. That guy could skate, man. You know, I say this to everyone. And first of all, the most important thing that i can take away from all that and nowadays is is the people that he's surrounding me with and the situations he's surrounding me with growing up you can't teach that and you can't write that in a book um that's something that's parenting right like i mean i'm a parent i got three kids and like my wife and i are always talking about like what can we give the kids experiences experiences as

much as you can and that's all he did. He just literally just kept throwing me in these situations to try and teach me. And, again, he played a different role than obviously I do on a hockey team, for sure, all the way up. And he did whatever it took to get there, and I respect him more than anyone on the planet because he did the hardest job in all of sports, realistically, and the most selfless thing you can think of to really step up to these

absolute mammoth human beings just to protect his teammates when he was just this little little guy and I mean he's an absolute warrior unbelievable teammate and the guy that worked for everything and earned everything that he got it kills me that he never got a chance to win and that's probably the biggest thing that drives me every single day is to try and do something that he wasn't able to do not just for myself but for him as well that'd be something pretty special so almost everything to my parents for sure just as i'm sure your kids would say the same thing i mean we wouldn't be where we are today without the sacrifices some days better some days worse of course of course but you know what i mean i think just that and surrounding me with the proper people and different situations

that teach you how to be a pro at a very young age. I think that was something that, I mean, you can't script and I'm very appreciative of my dad for sure. Let me ask you about equipment. Yeah. Because I can recall, and I'll take this back to your dad.

I can recall when everybody all of a sudden, the TPS XN10s sticks, like everybody had to have them. And everyone was still sort of at that time in the NHL, it fighting with this new technology like backing up a pass with your skate and oh man it's going off the heel it's going off the toe growing up yeah were you always a guy that had you know either from your dad or from the maple east room like the hottest latest gear like how max don't be getting x and then you know what it's funny um i always was a tps guy um because my dad was a tps guy yeah and going back to brad jansen i don't know if you

know that name but i know brad yeah jenny was a legend i know brad yeah the tps legend for sure great guy was with easton for a while but um he would always uh and my dad was a righty right so i couldn't just take my dad's sticks so i actually, I think part of the way they paid him was, was through like credit within the company. And I, we just use most of that credit for, for my custom sticks. So you'd see like Domi 13, like an intermediate tiny little stick with a Zetterberg curve was pretty straight back in the day. But no, I, I, I mean, I love TPS, but I, I love changing stuff up and always trying new

things, but, um, it up and always trying new things. But it was kind of whatever my dad had access to. I wasn't really able to just, oh, dad, I want a Bauer. He was against that because he was like, why would I ever get that? I got a free stick here for you. Why would I go buy a Bauer? So I was always kind of in the TPS lane. But I did have a pair of gloves when I was at the Toronto Marlies that literally lasted me like five years.

And at that time, like it's gross. You know what I mean? Like it's so gross how long. Those are the worst. Like they smell so bad. And they're like peeling. And at one point, like I think I just came home and my dad just like threw them away.

And it was like the worst day ever. Because I'm like, dude, you can't do that. But no, I mean, I was a TPS guy through and through, but I certainly did have access to a lot of equipment that, I mean, most people might not have, but, uh, love hockey stuff for sure. Hockey gear geek for sure. You are, right? What, what, what's the, the one piece of equipment you like you're fanatical about?

Uh, my stick, stick, and then probably skates and gloves are right there as well. What do you like in a stick? Um, I mean, again, like going back to my comment about not really being a shooter more of a passer i like to feel the puck a little bit more yeah um so i'm not really all into the whole like kick point release thing of of all these really light sticks they're almost too light i mean some of the younger guys love them and then they're plenty skilled so it has nothing to do with that like you can use either stick. But me personally, I like a little bit of a heavier blade and the more old school build of a shaft and blade combo.

So I've had the same Bauer stick for a while, just a couple of different paint jobs over top. But yeah, no, I've had the same curve for a few years now. Pretty locked in as of right now. Are you one of those players that has, as the season goes on, the flex changes? No, no, no, no. You're not that guy? No.

When I was younger, though, which is hilarious, I mean, Stan Wilson, one of the best, if not the best, equipment guy on the planet. And not just equipment guy, but human being. Him and Tony Sola, Jason Rudy, the whole staff in Arizona was incredible. But Stan would be like, dude, just find something and stick with it. And Stan was also the equipment guy when my dad played in Winnipeg. So he had known me since I was an infant, which was awesome. But he would be all over me.

He said, just find something that works and just stick with it. So the first few years I was all of a sudden, I want to try everything. You know what I mean? Like you have access to all this stuff in the NHL. You're like, oh, I want to try this curve, this curve, whatever. And you just drive yourself insane. So finally grew up a little bit. And again, when I went to Montreal, I just found a career, stuck with that.

And I've been with that one ever since. But the staffs that I've had the privilege of being with, I mean, from Arizona, Montreal, Columbus, then Carolina and Chicago and now Dallas. Like it's almost like I've had the six best staffs, it seemed like. But it's like it's incredible how awesome these guys are and also how in tune they are with all the stuff coming out because i feel like nowadays i mean you know back in the day like they wouldn't change that much in a stick you know i mean now it's like all of a sudden there's holes in sticks and stuff like it's it's bananas you know like some of these kids are trying did you try those i did but like the slings right i couldn't i couldn't do it so like these guys have their hands full but they've been they've been great with all that. You mentioned that.

I want to ask about your mom. You're a very fashion-forward guy. I don't know how many pairs of shoes you own. Too many. But that all comes from mom who used to work in the fashion industry. She wouldn't be very happy if I blamed her for that. But she's against my addiction for shoes. Shoe addiction?

Does it come from her? Or is that just always been you always i think it's just me but uh pretty addictive personality overall but honestly i've actually again grown up a little bit so i don't uh yeah don't just waste money on a pair of shoes for the sake of doing anymore but i was with nike for a few years so that saved me quite a bit of time and money it's huge yeah um but no again like i mean at some point, I mean, you have two feet, right? So two feet and not that many days in a year. So there's no point in having too many pairs of shoes,

I guess. And I learned that one pretty quick. A lot of talk at the general manager's meetings last week about the automatic fight after a big hit. Take us into a player's point of view. A lot of players will say like, listen, a big collision happens. We don't know. We don't see it. We just assume it's a bad hit so we're going for it yeah like take it take us in a player's mind after one of your guys gets hit like what happens

in your mind you're on the ice maybe you don't see it what's your initial instinct it's really just a reaction to be honest um i mean i have two instigator penalties this year and both were hits on patrick kane that when you go back and watch the hit you're like oh like he didn't get hit that hard and like you probably shouldn't have reacted that way but when you're just in the culture of i mean the family culture of being like every time i walk down the locker room i would do anything for those guys that i see and we're trying to win every single game so when someone gets hit or someone looks like they're in an uncomfortable position, it's your job to step up for them.

That's just kind of how I was raised. That's how our game is. As much as they try to get rid of that stuff, that's always going to be like the case in our game. And quite frankly, both times I just, I don't know. You see red and you just go to your teammates defense. You know what I mean? And then after like, if you have the time to think about it, of course you're going to be able to make a teammates defense. You know what I mean? And then after like, if you have the time to think about it, of course,

you're going to be able to make a better decision. You know what I mean? But the reality of our game is it's so fast. Things happen so quickly. It's an emotional game. A lot of things happen like that. So, I mean, listen, I think it's great. I think it's awesome to see when guys step up for their teammates,

because I think that creates the, the culture that that so many people before us and so many generations before us have built um which makes our game so special that you you'd give anything for the guy to the right and the guy to the left um and it's about the team not the individual uh and that's a selfish play as far as I'm concerned um and again that's just kind of my blood for for what my dad did that was his job so um i think it's it's got a a place in hockey i'm not sure what were their mindsets at the gms and stuff like that because um i mean of course if there's going to be a clean hit you can't have a fight every single time yeah um and i think nowadays

too is the game has gotten away from these massive hits in terms of like the consistency of the massive hits like you'd see like a huge hit that Jacob Truba throws once every few games. You'd see that every period. You know what I mean? I think the game's evolved in a way that makes it just put a spotlight on each individual hit. That is so true.

Because there's just not as many. It's completely true. So it's tough to really blame the players on that. It's just that's where the game is, and I don't think it's actually changed as much as people think it has. It's interesting hearing you talk about that because I've always been of the belief that sports, sports kind of exists in this weird place between what your head knows.

Like you're talking about, you go back and maybe overreacted. There's what your head knows and what your heart feels. And like sports is right in between there, man. A hundred percent. Like that's where it, that's where it lives. Last question for you. What do you want people to know about you? Floor is yours.

This is the billboard for Max Domi. What do you want people to know about you? Oh, man. I've kind of given up on really caring about what people know about me, to be honest, because a lot of people will paint a picture. And I think that's the number one thing and takeaway for me is that nowadays with social media and all this stuff and misunderstandings here, misunderstandings there, and they interpret something this way or interpret

something that way is people are always going to have views on you and whatever that might be good or bad. I mean, it's what it is. Right. And, um, I keep my circle real tight, whether it's guys in hockey with my teammates and, um, my real tight knit circle of friends back home, my family is number one. Um, so that those are the people that I care about in terms of what they think of me. You know what I mean? And if they're proud of me and they're happy with who I am as a human being, that's all I care about. And really that's how I live my life is as someone that I try and enjoy every single day. I try and leave a positive mark on everyone I meet and make their day a little bit better.

I think the world is drifting too far away from that these days. People get a little bit too self-obsessed in what others think of them and what they're doing. And I think the world's a better place when you're worried about taking care of others around you. So that's how I just operate. That's how I was raised. And I care about one thing and one thing only, and that's my family and those close people around me and what they think. And other than that, I mean, hey, if you've got an opinion on me, that's great. You can have an opinion. I really don't care, you know. But the other thing is after family is trying to win a Stanley Cup.

So I'm in Dallas right now. Couldn't be more proud to be a star and represent this city and this fan base with this amazing team. And we have one goal, and that's to win. So just trying to be real present where my two feet are and help this team out in any way i can it's awesome well you made this podcast better thanks so much i appreciate it great seeing you isn't he great?

That's Max Domi of the Dallas Stars. The full video, by the way, will drop on Thursday on our Sportsnet YouTube channel. Taking us out today is an artist from Miami, Florida. Aaron Edwards, stage name Real Live Animals, doesn't need much to make great music. Give him his instruments and the producer and engineer will create something special that samples multiple genres. With Empty, here's Real Live Animals on 32 Thoughts, the podcast. Miss me later, a final warning Tell me are you, afraid of dying? Hope they mourn you, see them crying Ain't that what you want? I can make you stop

Only you can make it better I can set it up, make it fall apart I can help you find the letters Isn't it funny? I don't believe you when you say that you love me All this complaining, you say you just want him, huh? Trying so hard to just make everything lovely. Always coming back to you. After all you put me through.