Max Domi is happy to sign an extension with Toronto: ‘I chose to be here, I want to be here’

Max Domi had been roaming around the NHL for years when he inked a one-year contract with the Leafs last summer.

By all accounts, Toronto was a place he had longed to play for and it did not take him long to acquaint himself with the fanbase. Of course, he had the last name that this city adored in the 1990s and 2000s, but Max’s playing style was vastly different from his dad’s and he was going to be given a bigger role on a team with aspirations of doing well in the playoffs.

It took him some time to get in a groove but by the end of the season he was playing alongside Auston Matthews and the two formed great on-ice chemistry. Although the Leafs were unable to get past the first round yet again, Domi was far from the reason why.

There was no doubt some questions in the weeks since their season ended whether he would want to re-up with the Blue and White or seek a large payday somewhere else. In the end, Domi opted to get stability and a pay bump with the team he hoped to stay with long-term and now he has found his home for the next four seasons.

When speaking with the media a little over a day after signing his longest contract since his entry-level deal, Domi said he was happy to get some continuity with where he would be playing. It’s hard to argue against that as before coming to Toronto he had bounced between five different teams dating back to 2019.

“I chose to be here, I want to be here,” he said. “I’m excited to stay here, about our group and the arrival of “Chief.” This is home and I was willing to do what it took to make it work.”

Speaking of Craig Berube, Domi gave a ringing endorsement of the new bench boss around the time that the hire was made and felt that his appointment was what the team needed. While he did not tip his hand either way, it is clear that he will enjoy being coached by Berube and has been well prepared to work with someone like Chief.

“I’ve been learning from guys like that my whole life,” he said.

The fact that he was willing to take less than what he would have gotten on the open market shows just how much it means for him to be a Leaf.  He even has aspirations of being more than just a member of this team; he said he remembers when he was a kid dreaming of winning the Stanley Cup with the Leafs.

As for the video that Domi posted yesterday to announce his extension, he admitted that the idea has been in his mind for quite some time. It is one that resonated with plenty of his teammates who were pumped to see him back while Tom Brady wanted Domi to take it a step further and go for the Cup.

It goes without saying that Domi has been one of the rare Leafs who has not only embraced all that comes with being in this market but has thrived under these circumstances. He is the exact type of player that this team has been missing for a long time and getting him to commit long-term at a reasonable cap hit was a win for all parties involved. Now he gets to call the place he hoped to play all along his home for the next four seasons.