Amidst the fallout of a front-office shakeup and a lost season, Max Domi sounds off on locker room accountability and the impact Brad Treliving had on his career.
ANAHEIM — Just a couple of days removed from a whirlwind day that saw the Toronto Maple Leafs avenge their fallen captain and their general manager get dismissed, the club took the ice at Honda Center for practice before boarding a plane to Northern California to take on the San Jose Sharks.\
During Monday’s 5-4 overtime win against the Anaheim Ducks, Max Domi fought Radko Gudas right from the opening draw. The fight was a direct response to Gudas injuring Auston Matthews on March 12 with a knee-on-knee hit. Domi was tight-lipped about the specifics of the scrap, saying he wasn't “going to get into it,” but noted the emotional lift it provided a group that has struggled to find its identity.
If avenging a teammate wasn’t enough, the Leafs also had to deal with the dismissal of GM Brad Treliving just hours before puck drop. “It’s a tough part of the business, obviously,” Domi said, reflecting on the departure of the man who brought him to Toronto. “We all love Tree, we respect Tree. He was one of the guys that drafted me. For him to give me the opportunity to come live out my childhood dream of playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs is something I’ll always be grateful for”.
In many ways, Domi is the poster boy for Treliving’s attempt to change the makeup of the team, bringing a player with “snot,” as the former GM described when taking the job in 2023. Treliving signed Domi to a one-year, $3 million contract that year. After the 2023-24 season, Treliving signed him to a four-year, $15 million extension, representing the most security the player has had since being drafted in the first round of the 2013 NHL Draft.
But this year has been especially challenging; Toronto is all but mathematically eliminated from the postseason, missing out on playoff hockey for the first time in 10 years. MLSE CEO Keith Pelley alluded to a problem with the team’s culture.
"Listen, man, at the end of the day... what happens on the ice is up to us, what happens in that locker room is up to us," Domi said. "We’re not going to get into what went wrong with you guys. Quite frankly, it’s none of your business. It’s our group’s business, and we’ll keep it that way".
It was a classic Domi moment—fiercely protective of the "sanctity of the room" while acknowledging that the players ultimately failed to deliver for their GM. Domi was adamant that the responsibility for Treliving’s exit rests squarely on the shoulders of those wearing the jersey.
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"That’s on us. We’re the ones that go out there every night and play the games," Domi admitted. "The score is dictated based on what we do out there. We have to take accountability... it sucks, but we wish him the best".
As the Leafs enter their final stretch of the season, the uncertainty surrounding the coaching staff and the vacant GM seat looms large. Yet, Domi remains steadfast in his belief that the core of this group is capable of a turnaround, dismissing the idea that this season’s failures are anything more than a “one-off”.
Time will tell.