Quinte Red Devils graduate secures three-year, entry-level contract following first-round selection in NHL Entry Draft
It's fair to say it has been quite the summer for Ben Danford. In June the Toronto Maple Leafs chose the fleet-of-foot rearguard with the 31st overall selection in the first round of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.
His achievement continues a significant trend, as graduates from the Quinte Red Devils program have now been taken in each of the last five drafts.
More recently (August 2nd), the right-shot defender inked his entry-level contract with the hometown favourite blue and white. Like many Ontario youngsters, Danford, who was raised in Madoc, grew up a Leafs fan.
Danford had an impressive sophomore season with the Oshawa Generals, tallying a single goal and 32 assists in 64 games, along with a plus-27 rating.
His strong performance continued in the postseason, where he played a crucial role in helping the Generals secure the Bobby Orr Trophy as Eastern Conference Champions before they were defeated by the London Knights in the OHL finals.
Known for his near perfect skating form and strong defensive positioning, scouts project the 18-year-old to develop into a reliable puck-moving blueliner at the professional level, making him a key prospect for the Leafs' future on the backend.
In spite of the signing the Centre Hastings resident will likely return to Oshawa for the upcoming campaign where he will try and help the Generals contend for a league title once again. Prior to that he will continue to train at Momentous Athletics in Belleville throughout the offseason.
Danford is expected to participate with the Maple Leafs rookies at the Prospect Showdown before training camp. Between September 14-15th Danford and his Toronto teammates will face off against the best prospects that the Montreal Canadiens can put on the ice.
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