Tie Domi once acted as security for Jay-Z at Alex Rodriguez's birthday party

Tie Domi's reputation extended itself off the ice, once acting as security for Jay-Z at Alex Rodriguez's 2009 birthday party. (Getty Images)
Tie Domi's reputation extended itself off the ice, once acting as security for Jay-Z at Alex Rodriguez's 2009 birthday party. (Getty Images)

Tie Domi’s reputation as an enforcer apparently extends well beyond the ice.

The former Maple Leafs forward retired in 2006 after a 16-year NHL career, but his notoriety remained intact well after he hung up his skates.

Domi joined Alex Rodriguez and CNBC’S Mad Money host Jim Cramer on Barstool Sports’ podcast The Corp, where it was revealed that he once protected rap royalty at A-Rod’s birthday party a decade ago.

“My 34th birthday in 2009, July 27th. Now, the entire team is over there,” Rodriguez recounts. “Front office, and around midnight, now this is a Saturday when we have a 1 o’clock game the next day, someone jumps in the pool, then I jump in the pool, [Joe] Girardi jumps in the pool, the manager. Now I’m talking about 100 people inside the pool. Now, there’s two people dry in the entire party: one is Jay-Z, and the other is Tie Domi, who was protecting Jay-Z. ‘Hey, Tie, don’t let anybody get near you.’ He goes, ‘trust me, nobody will.’”

Rodriguez was at the height of his fame in 2009, leading the Yankees to the World Series later that year, while Jay-Z could’ve hired just about anyone to protect him, making Domi a transcendent talent of sorts.

“And guys would come around, they’d try to sneak up. Jay-Z would come over, put his arm around me with a cigar in his mouth,” Domi said.

It’s clear that Domi did a great job in his role as personal security guard.

“Every time I see Jay-Z, he goes “How’s my boy Tie Domi?” Rodriguez said.

It’s certainly an odd confluence of star power but anything goes in A-Rod and Jay-Z’s world, and it makes sense that no one would want to mess with Domi, even to this day, after logging 270 fights in his career.

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