"Danford had a tournament that everyone expected. The Maple Leafs' 2024 first-round pick finished the tournament with one assist in seven games, but his value was never tied to point production. Team Canada valued Danford was used exactly as expected: in a defensive role, playing tough minutes, contributing on the penalty kill, and helping protect leads late in games. His calm, positional play earned him consistent trust from the coaching staff."
"Danford is the exact defenceman that the Maple Leafs could use in the future. This tournament showed the type of game that Danford can bring to the NHL level. His game is built around reliability, physicality, and awareness traits that translate well to the NHL stage. For a young defenceman who played in a pressure moment, simply being dependable is often one of the toughest jobs, and Danford played just fine."
Canada captured the World Junior bronze medal with a 6-3 win over Finland. Ben Danford, the Maple Leafs' 2024 first-round pick, finished the tournament with one assist in seven games while serving primarily as a defensive specialist. Danford logged tough minutes, contributed on the penalty kill, and helped protect late-game leads with calm, positional play that earned coaching trust. The prospect has shown reliability, physicality, and NHL-translatable awareness. Danford will return to the Brantford Bulldogs, where he has 12 points in 15 games after a midseason trade from Oshawa, and will use the experience to aid his development.
Read at Editor In Leaf
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