Greyhounds ink local blueliner ahead of draft

Coming off of his first season of junior hockey, Connor Toms has signed with the Ontario Hockey League’s Soo Greyhounds.

Toms, a Sault native who spent the 2020-21 season with the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League’s Soo Thunderbirds, was the Greyhounds 3rd round pick in the 2020 OHL Priority Selection.

In a prepared statement, Toms said “playing for the Greyhounds has been a dream of mine ever since I started playing minor hockey in the Soo.”

In 19 games with the Thunderbirds, Toms had four goals and 18 points.

His 18 points were third among NOJHL rookies and tops among freshmen defencemen.

Toms is the second member of the Greyhounds 2020 draft class to sign as the team has also inked first rounder Bryce McConnell-Barker.

“Connor can mobilize offence from anywhere on the ice due to his composure and elusiveness with the puck,” Greyhounds general manager Kyle Raftis said. “This, coupled with his elite skating-ability allows him to be a proficient two-way defender.”

In selecting Toms, Raftis said that the young blueliner checked all the boxes.

“When we talk about a defenceman and what we look for in terms of skillset, he has that,” Raftis said at the time of the pick. “He’s a great skater. He’s got a great I.Q. His decision-making is elite. He can create shot lanes for himself on the blueline. He defends well and he quarterbacked the power play for them this year. He has a lot of attributes on that side of it and he’s definitely a kid that’s motivated.”

The news of the signing comes as the team prepares for the 2021 draft, which begins on Friday night with rounds one through three before wrapping up with the remaining 12 rounds on Saturday.