North American Skater
TYLER
TOFFOLI
POSITION: C
SHOOTS: Right
HEIGHT: 6' 0"
Weight: 181
Born: 04/24/1992
Mid Term Rank: 22
Nationality: Canadian
Club: Ottawa
League: OHL
On his style of play: I think I'm just good with the puck. I have good vision. I have good puck possession and I'm not the greatest skater, but I have good edges and I'm kind of a tougher guy to knock off the puck. I like to work hard and just get a lot of points, obviously, like any other player. I like to get in the areas where you can score and I like to put the puck in the net.

On patterning his game: I have not really patterned myself after anybody, but I hear I play like Dany Heatley. That's a real honor. He's a great player, but I find that I really like to pass the puck a little bit more. I know he's more of a pure goal scorer, but I would love to pattern my play and score a lot of goals like he does.

On the moment that gets him into the game:
You know what, it's kind of hard. I know that you've got to be focused right before the game, but I know if the other team just gets the first goal, it gives me the extra push to work harder and go harder to the net or something like that. So I think it's when the other team kind of gets the goal or when you tie it up and they get another goal, it's just something like a goal that kind of puts me more in the game.

On becoming a hockey player: Well, my parents kind of put me in the game when I was around three years old. They said I was just rollerblading around the house on the four wheels and the roller blades. I started skating when I was three years old and ever since then, I've just been playing and I've been playing a lot of hockey. My parents were probably going to get me into hockey anyway, because my dad is a big hockey fan. I think they have got me in a little earlier than they expected.

On remembering when he first played the game: Well, what I remember is being a young kid, those early morning practices on the weekend, those are always a killer, even as a young kid when you don't realize how early it is, but now thinking back on it, those early mornings, the 5, 6 o'clock practices, just thinking about it, I think I'll always remember that.

On the favorite NHL team in the Toffoli household: Well, my dad is a huge Leafs fan and my mom is a Senators fan. I have the best of both worlds, I grew up in Toronto, watch the Leafs all the time and now I'm playing in Ottawa, so I get to a lot of the Sens games. It's a lot of fun and it's good going back home and watching the Leafs and Sens play because my parents always get into a little argument.

On the biggest influence on his career: Oh, it's my parents, for sure. They were always with me by my side the entire time. Even through the hard times when I thought I didn't want to play hockey because it was too hard, they just kept pushing at me. Even in minor Midget, my coach, Dan Cameron, a great guy and fun guy to be around and great coach, he taught me a lot about the game.

On the tough times in his career: At the beginning of this year, for sure, was a real tough time. I didn't have a point in ten games. And people were starting to doubt me and my parents, they kind of just told me, relax and you know, just have fun out there. So I kind of took their advice and I talked to my agent a little bit and they just told me I've got to relax and just shoot the puck more and just put the puck on the net and keep working, because you know, the bounces were eventually going to come my way. I just listened to them and just started having fun out there and it's been a success so far for me this year.

On playing for the Toronto Junior Canadiens: It was just awesome. I get goosebumps just thinking about how amazing our team was. I mean, all of those players are playing hockey now. A bunch are playing in the OHL, but my line was John McFarland and Chase Balisy. They are great players and both great individuals, and I still talk to them.

On his most memorable moment with the Junior Canadiens: Oh, I would say the OHL Cup for sure. I know the year before that, we went undefeated that season in the minor Midget year. We lost a few games and people kind of doubted us and they were saying that we were not the team that we were supposed to be in, all that stuff. But whole way our Coach Dan Cameron just said: Win the OHL Cup, our stock will go up; we will get drafted higher if we win the OHL Cup. We went to work for that and you know, that game, I think Johnny scored three goals and you know, I think he scored his 100th goal that game and it was an empty net. I always remember, it was 2 on 0 in the empty net and I gave it to him for the 100th goal. I remember that and he'll remember that for a long time.

On his most memorable moment in his career so far: I would say playing for Team Canada, just throwing on the Canadian jersey and representing Canada is a great honor. But for winning that gold medal, it was a long, long trip. We were there for a month and I know I missed my friends, I missed my family. But the whole time there, we were one family, we were a team with 22 guys.
We just had a lot of fun and worked with what we had. You know, we had a few ups and downs when we were over there but we battled through it and we won the gold medal.

On his personality off the ice: You know, I don't like to do too much. I'm kind of a laid back guy, but I like my book here and there, and I like watching a lot of movies. So you know, you'll just find me in my room or just in the living room watching some TV.