The pressure that comes with playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs is overwhelming according to some, but don’t tell Max Domi that.
“I mean, the only thing better than playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs is probably winning a Stanley Cup as a Toronto Maple Leaf, and it’s really that simple,” the Leafs forward said on The FAN Morning Show.
And while the 2024-25 season may not have ended the way Domi, the franchise, and their fans had hoped, he still believes this team will be ready to go come next fall.
“We’ve got a hungry group, and everyone believes in there that we can get the job done, and anything short of that is not going to cut it,” Domi explained. “[I’m] looking forward to the opportunity. I absolutely love playing here. I love playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs.”
As the son of former Maple Leafs pugilist Tie Domi, pressure is something Max has had to face his entire career, and he believes that’s what makes it all worth it.
“Pressure is a huge privilege and something that you dream of your whole life to be able to experience,” said Domi. “Is it easy? No, but nothing’s easy, and hard things are what make it fun.”
This attitude is something that extends to Domi’s life off the ice too. The forward was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was just 12 years old. He’s been open with his struggles living with the disease for the past 18 years and how it affects his preparation as a professional hockey player.
“The stuff that goes kind of unseen is the work leading up to [the] game,” the forward explained. “I usually try to start my preparation 24 hours prior to that, maintaining the glucose levels in range, eating the proper food, staying hydrated, and just staying on top of where my glucose levels are trending.”
One of the most important things for Domi off the ice — who will be attending the Breakthrough T1D Walk on Sunday, June 8 in Toronto as an ambassador — is helping out others who also have been diagnosed with the disease.
“It’s just showing a lot of support for everyone living with our condition of type 1 diabetes,” said Domi when asked what being able to work with Breakthrough T1D means to him.
“It’s created this community in my life that has allowed me to always keep that in the back of my mind. I’m playing for them and just trying to show all the kids out there, and even adults, that despite having this disease and whatever your dream is, you can still go out and live your best life."
