Now into August, players are beginning to wrap up their vacations and get back to work with some summer training to improve their strength and conditioning prior to the start of training camp in September.
Newly-minted Leaf Max Domi has wasted no time in getting back into the gym to help get himself prepared for camp next month. One of the things he likes to do to stay fit is boxing. Jorge Blanco, a martial arts trainer and a member of the Spanish Olympic boxing team has been helping Domi work on his skills. He shared a video of Domi working the pads earlier today:
Those who were lucky enough to watch his dad, Tie Domi, run through walls for the Leafs in the 90's and early 2000's know full well that Max has the right blood coursing through his veins to make a statement when needed on the ice. While he doesn't fight nearly as much as his dad did back in the day, he certainly isn't afraid to get his hands dirty when required.
Domi has racked up 70 or more penalty minutes in 5 of his 8 NHL seasons and 80 or more PIMs twice. Having said that, it's not uncommon for Domi to take an undisciplined penalty every now and again. However, he's also going to stick up for his teammates, which is one huge aspect of the game that the Leafs have been lacking over the years. Yes, they've had some tough customers come through town in recent seasons, but nobody with a fuse as short as Max Domi's.
Perhaps he's working on his boxing skills in an attempt to get a little nastier this season. He will have some heavyweight backup on the roster in Ryan Reaves as well, so I'm sure whenever Max is punching out of his weight class, Ryan will pick up where he leaves off.
