ST. PAUL, Minn. — Despite being an NHL rookie, Avalanche center Dominic Toninato has considerable experience playing at the Xcel Energy Center, where Colorado played the Wild on Tuesday night.
As a sophomore, junior and senior at Duluth (Minn.) East High School, Toninato played in the Minnesota state hockey tournament at the NHL arena. As a junior in 2011, the Greyhounds lost in the AA state championship in triple overtime to an Eden Prairie team featuring standout defenseman Nick Seeler, who is now an NHL rookie for the Wild.
“Lots of memories,” Toninato said of his high-school hockey after Tuesday’s morning skate the the ‘X.