Montreal Canadiens forward Max Domi created a stir at the BioSteel professional hockey camp on Monday.
Domi struck a chord with Leafs fans when he was asked by TSN's Mark Masters to comment about one of the biggest and long-lasting rivalries in sports and the differences he sees between the Habs and Leafs.
Asked why he felt the way he did, Domi provided a simple answer.
On Tuesday, Domi was a guest on TSN 1050's OverDrive program with Bryan Hayes and Dave Poulin and expanded on his comments.
"I wasn't really taking a jab at anyone, I was just simply saying 'I play for the Montreal Canadiens, so of course, they're the best fans in the league.'"
"They are, that's just a fact. I don't really need to keep talking about it, I mean, that's who I play for. I love everything about it."
Asked specifcially about the '24 Cups' comment, Domi followed it up by saying it was the first thing he thought of.
"The first thing that popped into mind was what I said."
I don't really have anything to do with the Toronto Maple Leafs. I don't have any connection other than the fact I live in the city in the off-season and that my family lives here. I was never drafted by them, I never played for them. Hey, I'm just an NHL player who plays for the Montreal Canadiens and was drafted by the Pheonix Coyotes, now the Arizona Coyotes and that's all I can really comment on. I played for those two teams and that's all I know. I'm lucky enough to play for the best team in the league now."
In the rest of the interview, Domi touched on his stellar season that almost saw the Habs make the post-season, as well as his book that's coming out on October 29th, titled No Days Off, which details what it's like as a Type 1 diabetic playing a professional sport.
From the publisher's website:
"One of the NHL’s most talented young stars shares his inspiring coming-of-age story about following his dreams after being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes."
"A portion of proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to JDRF, the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes research."
"Inspiring, heartwarming, and exciting, No Days Off is a memoir about what it’s like to be a kid whose world is turned upside down, and what it takes to face adversity."
You can watch the full interview below.
Domi is coming off a career season where he notched 72 points (28 goals, 44 assists) in 82 games, a 27-point increase from the season before in Arizona.
