Ben Danford is getting more and more confident as Toronto Maple Leafs training camp rolls on.
After the 19-year-old missed the entirety of last year’s camp with a concussion, which he suffered during Toronto’s rookie camp, he’s entered this season with the belief that his game has taken a step forward.
Danford has played four games thus far, dating back to the Prospect Showdown in Montreal. And after every game, the coach (Marlies bench boss John Gruden or Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube) has spoken glowingly about his play.
“I thought Danford played a good, solid hockey game,” Berube said after Toronto’s opening pre-season win against the Senators on Sunday. “It’s not a flashy game by any means, but it’s just, first-pass, defending well, plays a hard game. Pretty much mistake-free. It was impressive.”
Danford’s last appearance came in Toronto’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Senators on Tuesday night. The defenseman had 15:55 of ice time, the lowest among players on the team’s back-end. However, he was playing with the Maple Leafs’ regulars, including Morgan Rielly and Chris Tanev, whom Danford got to train with this summer.
“He just had a good attitude. He worked hard, and he’s a great skater. He was just doing everything that I was doing, and it was a good skate,” Rielly told The Hockey News of skating with Danford.
“I think it’s nice when you've got a guy like that that’s motivated and has something on his mind that he wants to go out and prove. And I mean, he looks great, so I think he’s doing an outstanding job.”
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Danford hasn’t been shy to voice that Rielly and Tanev are players he admires. “I’ve looked up to (Tanev) for quite a few years now. I feel like that’s someone I can really learn off of," the young defenseman said.
To skate with those players during a summer training is one thing. To get into game action with them during the pre-season is another. It’s a huge step for Danford, and he understands that.
“Last year, I didn’t get the full experience, so to get into a game with all those guys was really cool,” Danford said on Wednesday. “Last year, I didn’t really get to be around them that much, just having the injury. So to get to know them, play in a game with them, be on the ice with them in practice, they’re all great guys.”
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There’ll be plenty of memories from Danford’s first game inside Scotiabank Arena. The fans and the atmosphere will surely be the number one thing. He’ll also remember returning to the bench and hearing the positive feedback from the Maple Leafs’ top defenders as well.
“All the guys I played with on the back-end (Rielly, Tanev, Brandon Carlo, Jake McCabe, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson), you come off for a shift and you had a good one, and they’ll make sure to let you know,” Danford said.
“They’re really good at being positive. That definitely helped last night. They were really positive when I made a good pass. That definitely helped my confidence throughout the game. They did a great job, and I look up to them.”
On Wednesday, Rielly reflected on when he was a young defenseman trying to make a name for himself in the league. He earned a full-time role with the Maple Leafs in the fall of 2013, following a season which was split between the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors and the AHL’s Toronto Marlies.
“It’s a strange feeling. You come in here and you’re trying to make the team. You’re essentially trying to take someone’s job and trying to prove yourself and start your career,” the 31-year-old said.
“It can be a little bit strange. You don’t have a ton of communication with the coaching staff, just because there’s lots happening. And so you just try to come in every day and work hard and perform and execute and do what’s asked of you. And I think all our young guys are doing that, so it’s been good to see.”
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As Rielly watches Danford, he sees a younger version of himself: a prospect with plenty of upside, who’s just trying to navigate the early goings of his hockey career. And even when Rielly is preparing for a massive season ahead personally, he sees the importance of guiding Danford along.
“I think you just want to support your teammates. But also for a young guy, you want him to build confidence, and you also want to make him feel good about himself. It’s not easy being in that position. I’ve been there,” Rielly said.
“I’ve had relationships with guys that are very supportive, and I’ve had relationships with guys that are kind of s****y to you. You look back at those, and I don’t want to be one of those guys. I want to be someone that can support the young guys, and he’s doing a great job for us. I think all of us, between O (Ekman-Larsson), myself, Caber (McCabe) and Tany (Tanev), we’re just really impressed with him, so I think it’s worthwhile to tell him.”
Danford added, “I’m just trying every day here at training camp. Trying to put my best foot forward, not overdo things. Just take it day by day. And to hear that, it’s obviously great feedback, but I just got to keep rolling, just keep taking it day by day, keep getting better every day.”
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It’s not often you get a defensive prospect who makes this much of an impression at camp, especially at his first. He has another year of junior under his belt after being picked in the first round (31st overall) of the 2024 NHL Draft. But still, it usually takes a defender several years to develop into a meaningful player at the NHL level.
Danford might have another season with the OHL’s Oshawa Generals coming up, but he might be a step closer to the NHL than previously thought.
“Hockey IQ and feet,” said Berube, of why Danford has fit so seamlessly into the team’s game. “I watch him play; he just knows what he’s doing. He knows where the puck’s going. He’s simple. He doesn’t overcomplicate it.
“I’m not saying he doesn’t ever, but for the most part, he sees the outlet, makes the play, and he’s a good defender. He plays with a little bite, too, like he’s a physical guy and plays with some edge. But I love his feet, and I love that his head’s up all the time seeing the play, and he’s a pretty smart player.”
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At such a young age, how has the defenseman made such a strong impression on the entire organization?
“I think a big one is I’m keeping it simple out there, not overdoing things. I think my play style is just not overdoing things on the blue line, the offensive blue line,” Danford said.
“I’m having a really good first pass. I’m playing hard defense. I’m not trying to be that flashy player because that’s not who I am. I’m a guy that’s going to lock down the back-end, so that’s what I’m trying to do right now.”
How long Danford stays with the team remains to be seen. Usually, with prospects who are destined to return to junior, teams like to give them a couple of games to gain an understanding of the pro game.
Danford is different than the other prospects who are heading back to junior. He’s a player who’s put himself in the conversation of being a legitimate part of the Maple Leafs over the next few years.
“I mean, this training camp has been a really good experience so far. I just want to stay here as long as I can. Just keep putting my best foot forward, and we’ll see what happens.”
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