If you ever see Ben Danford leaving the movie theater where a horror movie is playing, don’t bother asking him about it. Chances are, Danford didn’t see very much.
“Not for me…,” Danford told Sportsnet. “I’m a jacket-over-the-face guy.”
Fans of offensive players may need to think about taking a jacket-over-the-face approach when their team is playing against Danford. Because if the Toronto Maple Leafs’ preseason hype machine is to be believed, the 19-year-old defenseman has already started laying the groundwork for a career that could make opposing forwards plenty uncomfortable.
Maple Leafs Prospect Ben Danford Turns Heads With Strong Camp
Drafted 31st overall in 2024, Danford wasn’t expected to be more than a long-term project. But over the past few weeks, he’s gone from intriguing to can’t-miss in Toronto’s camp. He’s not filling highlight reels with end-to-end rushes, but he’s commanding attention with the details — gap control, reads, poise under pressure.
“He’s doing a great job for us,” Maple Leafs veteran Morgan Rielly told The Hockey News, noting that Danford’s presence and consistency made him stand out among the wave of prospects.
The Hockey Writers placed Danford firmly among the Leafs’ top five preseason performers, praising him for the same steady qualities scouts have lauded since his Oshawa Generals days in the OHL. It’s not the flashy style that fills arenas, but it’s the brand of play that coaches and teammates start trusting quickly.
Craig Berube, Toronto’s bench boss, doesn’t dish out praise lightly. But even he couldn’t help but highlight Danford’s maturity during camp.
“He’s done a really good job,” Berube said. “He’s played some really good hockey in preseason games. You notice him. He’s noticeable because he’s making good decisions, and he’s playing hard. I’ve been very impressed with him.”
That kind of endorsement resonates. Berube made his NHL career on accountability and toughness — he knows the value of a defenseman who doesn’t shy away from the hard areas of the ice.
Danford, for his part, chalks it up to a simple philosophy. “I always want to do the right things, even when no one’s looking,” he told Sportsnet. It’s the kind of line that fits perfectly with the image he’s building: a defenseman who makes good hockey plays because he has good habits everywhere else.
Teenage Defenseman Ben Danford Opens Eyes Among Veterans & Coaches
Despite the buzz, the Leafs have been cautious. Hockey Patrol noted that Danford was scratched in back-to-back preseason games, a likely signal that Toronto is leaning toward starting him outside of the NHL lineup. The move isn’t so much a setback as a reminder of the organizational depth chart: Toronto has veterans slotted into every defensive role, and pushing one out for a teenager is never easy.
But the scratches haven’t slowed the conversation. The Athletic called him one of the players “a piece the Leafs could bank on for sustainable success on their back end,” while The Hockey News emphasized that Leafs veterans were quick to point out his poise — not something you usually hear about a teenager fresh out of junior.
For an organization criticized for its lack of high-end defensive prospects, Danford’s sudden rise is more than a pleasant surprise — it’s a potential franchise shift. Last season with Oshawa, he logged heavy minutes and chipped in 25 points, but more importantly, he showed the kind of maturity and responsibility that translates.
Now he’s carried that reputation into the Leafs’ system. As The Leafs Nation noted in their preseason watch list, Danford is already on the radar as one of the names who could make a push sooner than expected.
Danford may not be ready for prime-time NHL minutes just yet, but his preseason has put him squarely on the organizational map. Fans wanted to see a reason to believe in the future of the Leafs’ blue line, and Danford has given them one.
Whether it’s this year or next, the Leafs have a defenseman in the pipeline who already understands the value of playing with composure, detail, and grit. And for anyone hoping to score at his expense, the scariest part is that Danford’s story is just beginning.
So if you see him outside the movie theater, don’t ask about the horror flick. Ask instead about the opponents who are starting to feel like they’ve stepped into one.
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