Toninato not flashy, but versatile

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This article was published 31/03/2022 (1255 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

TORONTO – There was no tribute video, no “welcome back” message that greeted Dominic Toninato here on Thursday night. Not that one was expected, of course.

Sure, he was drafted by the Maple Leafs back in 2012, a fifth-round pick that went 126th overall that year, but he never suited up for a single game in the centre of the hockey universe. Instead, the 28-year-old took the longer road to the big leagues, finishing up a four-year college career with the University of Minnesota-Duluth and becoming a free agent in 2017 when Toronto didn’t tender him a contract.

Stops in Colorado and Florida would follow, where he played more games in the AHL (103) than the NHL (85). But a funny thing happened on the way to becoming a professional journeyman, one who seemed destined to bounce from city to city, league to league, without ever really being able to get settled.

Toninato found a perfect fit just a few hours up the highway from his hometown of Duluth.

“It really does kind of feel like home,” Toninato told the Free Press this week as he reflected on the past two seasons with the Winnipeg Jets. There will be at least one more, too, as he’s signed through next year at the league minimum of US $750,000. “A little colder. For the most part, the weather’s the same. And it’s close to home, too. It’s nice to be able to have friends and family travel up there. It’s a quick drive for my wife and I. She’s able to go home whenever she needs to.”

There’s nothing overly flashy about Toninato, a versatile forward who can play both centre and wing, but the Jets have plenty of sizzle up front. They needed a bit of steak. And that’s what Toninato has brought in a bottom-six role, with a major emphasis on defensive play and penalty killing.

He’s the type of player all teams, no matter how skilled, need in their lineup.

“They have that solid core that is among tops in the league. There were some spots in the bottom six and obviously that’s my role,” Toninato said of why Winnipeg was such a perfect fit. “I know that’s my role. I saw some openings there that I could battle for, and that definitely played a big role.”

He skated in his 64th game of the year on Thursday night, by far the most he’s ever played in a season. (His previous high was 46 with Florida in 2019-20). He’s set new career highs in goals (6) and points (12), and is someone interim coach Dave Lowry has come to count on.

“I like his level of professionalism. I like his commitment to the game. He understands who he is as a player. He understands what his role is today in our line-up,” said Lowry.

“I give him a lot of credit, he was a taxi squad guy for most of the year last year. He didn’t get an opportunity to play very many games. He came back this year with an understanding that there was a position available. We had lost a couple guys who had killed penalties. There was a role – an important role on a hockey team. He gravitated toward it. He challenged himself to win that position. What it’s done is it’s given him an opportunity to be an everyday NHL player.”

And that’s something Toninato is not taking for granted.

“You want to be the energy guy, reliable every night, good in the defensive zone. If you can get points that’s an added bonus. I think the main thing is just being reliable and bringing that energy every night,” he said. “I try to bring the same energy every day, whether it’s practice or a game. Always trying to get better. Just play the same way every night.”

Toninato cited Adam Lowry, Mark Scheifele and the recently traded Andrew Copp as teammates who have helped in his development. He’s played with a revolving cast of linemates this year, with Jansen Harkins and Adam Brooks currently on his wings.

“It’s been a collective group of help. I can kind of go to anyone on this team and they’ll help you out,” he said.

The penalty kill has been a big part of a recent run of success that has the Jets 11-4-1 in the past 16 games prior to facing the Maple Leafs. That was on display in Wednesday’s 3-2 shootout win over Buffalo, in which Winnipeg killed off two minors, including one in overtime. It’s quite a turnaround from a group that was among the league’s worst through the first couple months of the year. But a decision to be more aggressive – Copp recently described it as no longer sitting on lawn chairs – has been pivotal.

“As soon as we tweaked that early in the season, the PK started to excel,” said Toninato. “It’s such a big piece to winning hockey games.”

The Jets will need a lot more of those in the final month of the year.

“It’s really tight-knit. Guys really want to win. I know we’ve had our ups and downs throughout the season. But the focus is still there, on wanting to make playoffs,” said Toninato. “And once you get in anything can happen, right. So the main focus is trying to get in the playoffs and hopefully making a run.”

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @mikemcintyrewpg