Domi rooting for Penguins to win Stanley Cup

To celebrate Take Our Sons and Daughters Work Day, the NHL welcomed more than 60 children into its office Thursday. One of those children, Alex Roarke, sat for a 10-minute conversation with retired NHL player Tie Domi to talk about the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Tie's son, Max, who is a forward for the Arizona Coyotes, and the highlights of Tie's playing career.
Domi, 48, played 1,020 NHL regular-season games for the Toronto Maple Leafs, the New York Rangers and the Winnipeg Jets from 1989-2006. His 3,515 penalty minutes are third all-time in the NHL. He played in 98 Stanley Cup Playoff games, 86 of them with the Maple Leafs.

What is the hardest part of playing in the playoffs?
"Playoffs were probably the most fun of my whole career. Aside from having the most fights in NHL history, everyone knows me as that, I like to be known as playing in the second-most playoff games among right wings in Toronto Maple Leafs history after George Armstrong (110). I played in a lot of playoff games and they were a lot of fun to play in and you learn as you go in the playoffs. Experience helps a lot and I think that is why I played in so many playoff games. I enjoyed it more because I didn't have to think about fighting. I played over 1,000 games in the NHL and every game I dressed I had to think that I might have to get in a fight for my teammates or to turn around the momentum of the game or whatever. I don't think I was able to play in the regular season like I did in the playoffs because of that factor."
What is it like to have your son, Max, play in the NHL with the Arizona Coyotes?
"The kids ask me that all the time and I have to be honest with you, I get choked up about it sometimes talking about it or even watching him because it is almost surreal. Watching him grow up and have all these idols in hockey and meeting all these idols in hockey when he was a kid was great. When he was 10 years old we were at the Brick Tournament, which is the top kids in North America. He was the leading scorer of that tournament. So when he was 10 and I found out who the leading scorers in that tournament had been, I thought there was a chance of him playing in the NHL.
"When it really happened for me was when he went to three Memorial Cups in junior with the London Knights and went to World Juniors in 2015 with Canada and was the MVP.
"Once he made it to the NHL, it was like, 'Wow, he's really there!' It's cool to watch him as he matures. Every day is a new day in the NHL and he is already in his third year, but watching him progress and go through a challenging year, a learning year this year, it's going to help him in the long run. Watching him grow, but also helping whenever he wants me, guiding him any way I can, giving him advice. But I have never been that father to say you should do this or you should do that because I couldn't tell him how to run the power play. It's been one of those things that has been a pleasure really."

What was the favorite team you played for?
"That's a real tough question. I grew up in Toronto and I played for the Maple Leafs for 13 years, so obviously I played the most there. I played top-10 in games played for the team and like I told you, I was second all-time among right wings for Toronto in playoff games. So I would have to say Toronto. But New York is where it all started for me and they still treat me amazingly. They are a first-class organization. I also played in Winnipeg for a short time when Teemu Selanne scored 76 goals and that was a fun year. We made the playoffs and if we beat Vancouver we probably would have made the Stanley Cup Final too. Could of, would of, should of. It was a great experience to live in Winnipeg and experience that atmosphere."
If you could have played for any NHL team that you didn't play for, which team would it have been?
"That's a really good question. I would have to say Montreal Canadiens. I grew up and Guy Lafleur was my favorite player and Montreal has that classic history and that logo. Saying that as a Maple Leaf, Maple Leafs fans might not like it too much but the reality is that is the truth."
Did you think about retiring before you actually did retire?
"I could have kept playing. Mario Lemieux is one of my close friends and he owns the Penguins and when I wanted to retire, he offered me a few more years to come and play there, to protect Sidney Crosby. I didn't want to leave Toronto. I wanted to retire a Maple Leaf and I'm happy I did that. I see guys like Wendel Clark and Doug Gilmour or even Mats Sundin, they all went on and retired in other jerseys and I just wanted to retire as a Maple Leaf and I am glad I made that decision. I've been privileged to go to all these Stanley Cups with Mario and it is nice to go with the guy who owns the team. He made me think about playing longer for a second, but it was a good decision to retire as a Maple Leaf."
Did you have another favorite team aside from Toronto when you were growing up?
"Like I said, Montreal Canadiens were always 1A. I'm a real historian of the game. When I played in Winnipeg, I waited for Jean Beliveau in line for a book signing and for the rest of my career, any time I played in Montreal, Jean Beliveau would come and see me in the dressing room when he was in the building, so that was a real honor and a real privilege. I got to know him well and he is one of the ultimate people I have met in the game. It was quite special and it is something I will treasure for the rest of my life."

What is the toughest team you ever played against?
"My first year, I will never forget, we played against the Oilers in Edmonton. It was an exhibition game and they were getting down to the end and they wanted to play all their guys. I'll never forget, they had (Wayne) Gretzky, (Mark) Messier, (Paul) Coffey, (Glenn) Anderson, all these guys. It was like the (Harlem) Globetrotters. I think we lost 8-0 or 8-1. It was unbelievable. People ask me what was the most dominant, that was the most dominant I have ever seen. Playing against a team during my career, the (New Jersey) Devils were tough. They won the Cup a couple of times and we had some great playoff battles. My son can attest to this now, the NHL is a tough League, every single night is a challenge. When you ask me about one specific team, I would say just getting through the grind every day is tough. Once you get your head around that you have to be consistent and play every day, I think it helps."
Who do you think is going to win the Stanley Cup in 2018 and why?
"I hope the Pittsburgh Penguins. It's like my brother owns the team. That's obviously who I want to win. Who is going to win? I don't know. But as you can see, goaltending is such a big thing in the playoffs because the margin of error is so slim and every mistake can cost you a goal almost nowadays. That's why it is tough to say because there aren't any more Patrick Roys or Marty Brodeurs like their used to be. Those guys literally stole series. Patrick Roy went to the Stanley Cup Final with no offensive guys and he won a Stanley Cup."