Growing up on a farm near Norwood, Ont., Ethan Toms helped take care of cows and sheep when he wasn’t in school or playing hockey.
 
“It taught me hard work,” says the 16-year-old centre for the Quinte Red Devils.
 
That ethic comes through on the ice, helping establish himself as a candidate for the Ontario Hockey League draft. It’s a tool scouts immediately point to when discussing Toms’ game.

“He’s going to get into the corners and build his repertoire as a guy who wins battles,” says Ethan Wong of TheScout.ca.

Connor Williams, a co-host of the U16 hockey podcast which covers prospects for the OHL Priority Selection draft and related news, expressed a similar sentiment.
 
“He’s got tons of drive and his work ethic is one of the biggest I’ve seen in U16,” says Williams. “He’s not the biggest kid in terms of size and he’s still developing his strength but he’s already pretty strong on his feet.”
 
There’s more to his game than just a fierce determination. Both scouts are impressed by the Norwood High School student’s playmaking ability, too.
 
“He knows where his teammates are going to be and find lanes to make seam passes right on the tape,” said Williams. “He uses his soft hands and his skillset to find teammates effectively.”

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The biggest thing Toms needs to work on is his skating, Williams said, something he’s addressing with skill coaches.
 
“His foot speed is kind of holding him back right now,” he said. “The biggest thing is his explosiveness and his ability to create separation with his feet. He’s really good at using his edges but it’s about finding ways to create that extra space with his speed.”
 
Still, he’s come a long way from learning to skate on a frozen pond on the farm, which is what Dawna Toms remembers of her son’s start on the ice.

Over the years hockey has grown into a full-time commitment for Ethan, one the family has prioritized.
 
“I don’t fill Ethan’s heads with ideas of anything myself or anyone else wants him to do or thinks he should do,” she says. “I’m totally respectful that it’s his game and his journey and whatever he needs me to do as a parent to find success, that’s what I’ll do.”
 
The 10th overall scorer in the ETA with 35 points in 26 games says with a laugh that he pretty much only plays hockey. 

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He pauses before rhyming off some of the outdoor activities – like cycling on a trail near the family property, driving a four-wheeler, playing a little golf, and helping on the farm –  that he enjoys when not playing.
 
Toms played his U14 hockey in Peterborough before moving to the family cottage on the Trent River in the Quinte district to play for the Red Devils.
 
“When I was younger, I played hockey with some of those kids,” the 16-year-old said of the Red Devils. “Their program is really good.”

Toms credits Quinte Red Devils president Tyler Longo and his brother Chris, an assistant coach with the Kingston Frontenacs, for helping his development take big strides.
 
The OHL draft hopeful kept it short and sweet when asked what he would tell teams that may want to select him this spring.
 
“My main focus is to win and do whatever it takes to win,” Toms said. “That’s it right there.”