Coyotes’ Tippett on Max Domi: ‘There’s a little bit of his father in him’
Nov 9, 2016, 4:46 PM | Updated: 4:50 pm
Arizona Coyotes left winger Max Domi (16) and Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Kesler (17) fight during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Anaheim, Calif., Friday, Nov. 4, 2016. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)
(AP Photo/Reed Saxon)
Arizona Coyotes forward Max Domi impressed head coach Dave Tippett with his knockout of Anaheim Ducks star Ryan Kesler on Friday.
Domi’s one-punch fight showed that he inherited a bit of aggressiveness from his father and former NHL player Tie Domi.
“There’s a little bit of his father in him,” Tippett said during an interview with Bickley & Marotta on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. “He’s a dynamic player and he plays hard all the time. When you’re a top player there’s going to be times where guys are going to try and take you off your game and it’s good for him to defend himself.”
On Friday, Kesler put a hit on Domi leading to a roughing call, and Domi responded with an uppercut when the gloves dropped. Kesler went to the locker room and returned in the second period.
“Fights happen,” Tippett said. “You never want to see anyone get hurt, but intimidation is still part of the game and you can’t let anyone take advantage of you. The amount of fights these days is much less than is used to be and it’s still somewhat important for players to be held accountable.”
Domi has been struggling to find his rhythm during the first 12 games of the season, but the Coyotes’ most recent 4-2 win against Colorado came with Domi’s first goal of the season. He added two assists.
So far, the 21-year-old has tallied one goal and nine assists. Last year, he had five goals and six assists in the first 12 games.
“Sometimes you just a need a break and need to see one go in. Hopefully, this opens the floodgates,” Tippett said.
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