Maple Leafs buy out Domi, drop Belfour

[Marbles]

TSN.ca Staff

6/30/2006 1:23:52 PM

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced Friday that the club has bought out the contract of forward Tie Domi and have elected not to exercise the option year on the contract of goaltender Ed Belfour.

"We want to thank Tie for his many years of service to the organization," said Ferguson. "He became a fan favourite for a reason and we wish him well in the years ahead."

"Eddie added a lot to the Toronto Maple Leafs and we appreciate all that he did for us," added Ferguson.

"At this stage we are taking a different direction, and we feel privileged to have had one of the game's great goalies play for the Maple Leafs."
Related Info

Domi, a 36-year-old native of Windsor, Ontario, played in 77 games for the Maple Leafs this season collecting 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) with 109 penalty minutes. Domi was second (tie) on the team in penalty minutes, and he registered his 15th consecutive season with 100-plus penalty minutes.

Domi has played in 1,020 career National Hockey League games with Toronto, the New York Rangers and Winnipeg Jets, collecting 245 points with 3,515 penalty minutes.

Belfour played 49 games for the Maple Leafs this season compiling a 22-22-4 record, a 3.29 goals against average and a .892 save percentage. He surpassed Terry Sawchuk for second place in all-time NHL wins with a victory on December 19 versus the New York Islanders.

During Belfour's three seasons in Toronto, he played 170 games registering a record of 93-61-15 and a 2.51 goals against average. Belfour holds the franchise mark for wins in a season with 37, which was set back in the 2002-03 season. Belfour also tied the Maple Leafs record for shutouts (3-tie) in one playoff series versus Ottawa during the 2004 playoffs.

 

[the_big_E]

wow, positive moves for once

 

[Marbles]

ya ... funny how that started to happen the moment quinn was let go.

 

[scouser1]

perhaps we need a 45 minute pre game ceremony for Domi as they release him just like his 1000th NHL game ceremony just before he was benched the next game

 

[freshbreath]

good!

old man JFJr is afraid he might get fired, good to see that he's been scared into making moves

 

[Vov76]

Good decision.

 

[hunter65]

Will it be a good decsion to bring Roberts back? I personally think so.

 

[la venganza]

JFC, GR is 40 years old for crying out loud….

Will it be a good decsion to bring Roberts back? I personally think so.

I don’t want to hear about the Leafs signing any geriatric fossils this season. Gary Roberts was a good player, his best years are behind him. Why sign a player like that when you could pick up a free agent who still has some Hockey left in him.

 

[hunter65]

I don’t want to hear about the Leafs signing any geriatric fossils this season. Gary Roberts was a good player, his best years are behind him. Why sign a player like that when you could pick up a free agent who still has some Hockey left in him.

I'd rather have Roberts then that stiff Antropov. Frickin' useless.

 

[Coach]

I love Domi but it was time, just as Belfour's time is up. Roberts is done as well. Ferguson is making nice moves, he'll be fine as GM.

 

[calloway]

Ferguson is making nice moves, he'll be fine as GM.

With another team... in the Italian Women's Hockey League

 

[21pro]

I love Domi but it was time, just as Belfour's time is up. Roberts is done as well. Ferguson is making nice moves, he'll be fine as GM.

these buy-outs are basically burning money. money that was burnt over the last 3 1/2 years... nice moves? i don't know- these were his decisions to sign or not in the first place. or are the nice moves trading away the draft picks and top prospects over the last few years? (it's more like writing off a bad investment... either way, you're still losing, aren't you!)

 

[JohnLarue]

these buy-outs are basically burning money. money that was burnt over the last 3 1/2 years... nice moves? i don't know- these were his decisions to sign or not in the first place. or are the nice moves trading away the draft picks and top prospects over the last few years? (it's more like writing off a bad investment... either way, you're still losing, aren't you!)

If it is a bad investment, then you treat it like a bad investment, dispose of it and move on as Ferguson is doing. The past can not be undone so there is very little value in getting bent out of shape over it

 

[GlavaMan]

In the last two years of his contract McCabe is going to deliver a lot less than 6 million dollars worth of value against the cap.

This maybe true but in 4-5 years the cap could be higher so 6 million won't be as big a hit on it.

 

[Dimitri]

domi edd

thank you god for ridding me of domi. leaf fans should have a parade for this...it makes me so happy...eddiee.you did us well after that fag cujo left us to die....good luck in the future..i will miss eddieee


EDDIEEE EDDDIEEEE EDDDIEEEE

 

[new2game]

Somewhat contradictory???

I once heard Pat Gilick say that the problem with older players is that you never know when they are just going to "lose it", because it can happen in the blinking of an eyelash.

If they had that 3 million they have to waste on the Belfour buyout, they could have signed Brendan Shanahan from Detroit possibly, because it looks like Detroit might have to let him go due to cap problems.

Now it seems to me that in this years playoffs wingers who could put the puck in the net were at a premium.

..you speak of older players losing it in a flash..then you say the Leafs should show interest in Shanahan???....he's 37 yrs old...in todays NHL that is just about retirement time, save for a very few exceptions....and let's remember he's another of many Wings forwards who suck ass when the playoffs roll around...There are going to be younger, better forwards available...I'd stay way clear of Shanahan..

N2G

 

[tboy]

Well, I will miss DOmi, he always was a hard worker on the ice and I loved it when he took on players twice his size. But the article is right, the new hockey isn't for Domi or others like him. It is just too fast now.

As for eddie, well, he had his ups and downs but it is his time to go.

I don't know what's happening with Pronger, but IMHO he did SFA during the playoffs, maybe it was his women problems? I dunno but I sure don't want him on the leafs.

As for Andropoff. He is a waste of a good uniform. Whenever he's on the ice you can bet either the opposition will get a great scoring chance or they will actually score.