Dominic Toninato

Lore & Background

Toninato was born and raised in Duluth, Minnesota, and played high school hockey at Duluth East High School, where he was team captain in 2011–12 and a Mr. Hockey Award finalist. He then played for the Fargo Force in the USHL before attending the University of Minnesota-Duluth, where he served as captain in his senior year and led the Bulldogs to their first NCHC title and an NCAA Frozen Four appearance. He was named to the NCHC All-Tournament Team and honored as the league's best Defensive Forward.

After going unsigned by the Maple Leafs due to contract limits, Toninato signed an entry-level contract with the Colorado Avalanche in August 2017. He made his NHL debut on November 18, 2017, and scored his first NHL goal on February 14, 2019, against the Winnipeg Jets. He was later traded to the Florida Panthers in June 2019 and played 46 games with them in the 2019–20 season, recording a career-high 4 goals and 11 points.

Toninato signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Winnipeg Jets on October 10, 2020. He remained with the Jets organization for five seasons before leaving as a free agent to sign a two-year, two-way contract with the Chicago Blackhawks on July 1, 2025.

Reader's Guide

Dominic Toninato's tenure with the Winnipeg Jets spanned five seasons after he signed as a free agent in October 2020. His arrival came after a circuitous path through the Toronto Maple Leafs organization, the Colorado Avalanche, and the Florida Panthers. Toninato was known as a two-way forward, a reputation he built during his collegiate career at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, where he was named the NCHC's best Defensive Forward and led the Bulldogs to their first NCHC title. His professional career began with the Avalanche, where he scored his first NHL goal against the Jets in February 2019. After a season with the Panthers, he joined the Jets and remained with the club for five years, providing depth at forward. His departure from Winnipeg in July 2025 to sign with the Chicago Blackhawks marked the end of his longest stint with any NHL team. Toninato's career illustrates the path of a late-round draft pick who developed through the USHL and NCAA, eventually carving out a role as a reliable depth forward in the NHL.

Did You Know?

• Toninato was selected in the fifth round, 126th overall, by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2012 NHL entry draft.
• He scored his first NHL goal on February 14, 2019, in a 4-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets.
• Toninato was named the NCHC's best Defensive Forward in the 2016–17 season.
• His father, Jim Toninato, also played collegiate hockey at the University of Minnesota-Duluth.