He won the Mickey Renaud Captain's Trophy, awarded to the OHL captain who best exemplifies leadership on and off the ice.

Domi uses a Canadian glucometer so in U.S. metrics, his range is 85 to 145. After wrapping up a minor-hockey tournament in Detroit when Domi was 12, he and his mom, Leanne, began the drive back to Toronto. The family reached out again to Canine Hope for Diabetics and received a thumbs-up. “He’s right 99 percent of the time,” Domi said. When he spots his favorite toy, an oversized green duck with yellow feet and a busted seam on the stomach, he shifts in anticipation of a game of fetch in the backyard. Domi met Orion for the first time in January when Cockroft brought the dog to London, Ontario, where Domi was playing junior hockey. “So if he’s getting attention from anyone else, then it’s going to take his attention off me and he doesn’t do his job nearly as good.”.
If he drinks a Gatorade without giving himself insulin, his level could jump to 15 from 8 in only 15 minutes. That’s what rookie sensation Max Domi says about his two-year old diabetic-alert dog, Orion. Unfortunately, the organization's extreme hands-on nature with their dogs — even after they’ve found permanent homes — prevented an accommodation for a family living in Canada. NHL and the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup are registered trademarks and the NHL Shield and NHL Conference logos are trademarks of the National Hockey League. “As a type 1 diabetic trying to be an athlete, it’s not the easiest thing in the world,” Domi said. Instead, he is trying to take advantage of as many resources as possible to make his childhood dream a permanent reality. A year later, he acquired an insulin pump that stores three days’ worth of insulin, and filters it into his back hip. Strangers will stop to compliment his cuteness, but they’re not allowed to pet him. The son of longtime NHL tough guy Tie Domi, he had his first NHL goal and assist in his League debut, a 4-1 win against the Los Angeles Kings on Oct. 9, 2015. Even actor Mark Wahlberg, – family friend of the  Domis, posted the link on social media. He grew up in Toronto where his dad, Tie, toiled for the Maple Leafs as an enforcer for the majority of his 16-year NHL career. On the nights Domi went to sleep following games, Leanne would slip into his room at 3 a.m. and prick his finger to check his level. “It’s about going after what you want and not letting things stop you because that message can apply to all of us, not just diabetics.”. But over time, extremely high levels can have even more adverse effects on organ function. A normal range would be between 4.7 and 8. It’s like a party for him.”. And after lapping up the once-dry food swimming in a kitchen-floor water bowl, Orion props his front paws up on the counter to investigate dessert — a box of cookies — with his nose before his owner, Coyotes rookie Max Domi, summons him down. All Rights Reserved. The Official Site of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Under Review, pres.

Saliva gives off a scent and when Domi’s blood sugar is out of his target range, his saliva emits  an odor unlike the one produced when the level is normal. “This is going to be huge for me, and it’s helped me a lot since he’s been here,” Domi said. During the night, Orion sleeps on the floor in Domi’s bedroom — when he doesn’t hop up onto the bed — and will wake Domi when, using his keen sense of smell, he notices a shift out of range. He’ll do so again after a team meeting, before the pregame warm-up, after the warm-up and subsequently at the 10-minute mark and conclusion of each period. In the short term, low blood sugar is more dangerous and could cause a lack of consciousness. The 2-year-old, 70-pound yellow lab is a diabetic-alert dog offering Domi comfort, confidence and companionship. Orion started to pick up the high blood sugar scent once he started doing real-time training with a trainer who has diabetes. Not long after he was diagnosed, Domi had a similar encounter with Bobby Clarke, a type 1 diabetic who played 15 years in the NHL and captained two Stanley Cup winners with the Philadelphia Flyers. “It’s just this fabulous thing, which it is, but we’re very realistic and want to prepare people for that. He never forgot about the option and when he was drafted by the Coyotes two years ago, Domi wondered whether Arizona was close enough to be able to work with a dog. Domi also helped London win the OHL championship in his first season, 2011-12, when he was named to the league's Second All-Rookie team. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks as well as all other proprietary materials depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective NHL teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P.
They never judge.

He’ll run another test two hours after the game and before he goes to bed. Orion arrived in the Valley with Domi for training camp in August but went to stay in California until Domi solidified a roster spot on the team. Obviously, the lifestyle I’m trying to live is not easy and not comparable to other diabetics, so I’m trying to do as much as I possibly can to make that not a factor.”. It takes two years for a dog to be ready to be placed with a diabetic. Conversely, two or three hard shifts on the ice could drop him from 8 to 3. Domi’s range in U.S. metrics is 85 to 145. “His happy place is when he’s working,” Domi said. On a game day, Domi  might check his blood up to 20 times, while the average diabetic  might test his or her blood six times per day. As in 2014-15, Domi led London in scoring the previous two seasons with 93 and 87 points, respectively, the latter figure placing him ninth in the league in 2012-13. When he’s out in public, Domi wears the bringsel, but at home, it could be sitting on the coffee table or another location that Orion can easily spot. As Domi continued to play hockey, Leanne worried about his blood sugar dipping when he went to bed after a game. During  Year 2, he honed his ability to identify low blood sugar. “I kept thinking, ‘How is this kid ever going to move away from home?’ ” Leanne recalled. Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when he was 12, Domi has employed a diabetic-alert service dog to help him monitor his blood-sugar levels. It was not a decline in health that motivated Domi to embark on this phase of his life alongside Orion. Domi was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was 12 years old and the first question he … Reach the reporter at sarah.mclellan@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8276. Domi appears on TV commercials in Canada, a face of Bayer’s diabetes-care campaign. Diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 12, Domi’s first question was, “Can I still play hockey?” The answer was yes but that doesn’t mean it was easy. By the eighth stop, Domi was puzzled, too.

“He’s an inspiration to everyone around him,” Leanne said. For Domi, that ambition is being in the NHL and in only three weeks of action, he’s thrived — ranking among the leading scorers for rookies. Upon arriving at the rink in the afternoon for a game, Domi will check his level. “Doesn’t like to sit still, that’s for sure.”.