While the Leafs tried to shift their focus to the rather daunting task of defeating the Devils in Game 6 to win their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal, there was news that assault charges against head coach and general manager Pat Quinn had been dropped.
Toronto Sun photographer Stan Behal filed an assault complaint against Quinn on Friday alleging that Quinn grabbed him by the neck and shoved him while Behal was shooting Tie Domi arriving at a disciplinary hearing at the NHL's Toronto office.
Tie Domi was in better spirits after practising with his teammates on Sunday. (CP Photo)
Behal withdrew the charge when Quinn apologized to him.
"Last Friday's incident between Pat Quinn and me was regrettable," Behal said in a statement Sunday. "It is a matter I would like to put behind me.
"I accept Pat Quinn's apologies and I have already been in contact with Toronto police to request the charge against Mr. Quinn be withdrawn.
"I would not want this matter to be a distraction for Pat or the Toronto Maple Leaf organization in their quest for the Stanley Cup."
Despite his suspension for the remainder of the NHL playoffs for knocking defenceman Scott Niedermayer out of the New Jersey lineup with an elbow in the final seconds of Game 4, Domi practised with his teammates back in Toronto on Sunday.
Although he accompanied the team to New Jersey on Friday, Domi returned to Toronto Saturday afternoon after he read a statement of regret for the incident at a news conference.
The Leafs have not ruled out an appeal of the suspension if Niedermayer returns to the lineup in the series. Domi declined to speak with reporters after the optional workout, although his spirits were clearly lifted by being back on the ice, even if it was just a scrimmage.
"I didn't play last night," Domi said simply to the crowd of reporters. "Talk to the guys who played."
One of those players was goaltender Curtis Joseph.
"We talked to Tie on the phone after the game," said Joseph. "He was all fired up.
"He said it's harder to watch the games at home. I can well imagine when you're not part of it how gut-wrenching it can be."
Steve Thomas, one the veteran Leafs who have stepped up their game considerably in the post-season, said Domi was on his teammates' mind, especially after playing some of the best hockey of his career against the Devils.
"He's one of our leaders," said Thomas. "He's a guy who has shown throughout the playoffs this year that he wants it. He was willing to give up whatever it took to get that extra edge. He showed a lot of enthusiasm that rubbed off on a lot of other guys."
Forward Garry Valk said Domi is "a huge part of our team."
"We want to win for him," said Valk. "But this time of year you don't need motivation. This is about going to the final four if we win this series."
