How do you etch your name into the annals of Philadelphia folklore?
You can start by busting through the glass into the penalty box to fight one of the NHL’s biggest villains.
During the early 2000s, the Philadelphia Flyers and Toronto Maple Leafs began to form a rivalry. The Flyers had their noted tough guys, but Toronto had the Grand Poobah of them all, Tie Domi. There were bound to be some fisticuffs thrown each and every game the Maple Leafs and Flyers squared off. But little did Domi know the fans would be throwing most of the punches on March 29, 2001.
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After Luke Richardson checked Darcy Tucker into the boards, Tie Domi tried to scrap with Richardson and earned himself a 2-minute penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. Fans ticked with Domi decided to start throwing things at him in the penalty box. Having had enough, Domi gave them a taste of their own medicine by squirting water on a few of the patrons.
Chris Falcone, a Flyers fan, took personal offense to Domi’s actions and lunged at him, breaking the glass separating him from the NHL enforcer. Pandemonium ensued.
Falcone was cited and taken away to get stitches, but he’s still a living legend in Philadelphia. No matter how old you are, you still remember that game vividly. The Flyers may not have won the contest, but you can bet someone will bring up “that time the fan got into a fight with Tie Domi”.
Rumor has it Falcone and Domi are still friends to this day.
Follow Shawn on Twitter: @ShawnTHW
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