 Toninato was born and raised in Duluth, Minnesota, and first played High School hockey with Duluth East High School.Toninato was selected as team captain for the Greyhounds in the 2011–12 season, and capped off a productive three-season career by helping the School to a fourth straight berth in the Minnesota State Class AA Tournament and delivered a 61 point season, amassing 27 goals and 34 assists in 25 outings to be selected as a Mr. Hockey Award finalist in addition to landing a spot on the All-State second team.On January 24, 2012, Toninato followed his fathers footsteps in committing to a collegiate career with the University of Minnesota-Duluth.