Ben Danford is ready to turn the page on what occurred exactly one year ago.
Danford had just finished his first summer after being drafted in the first round by the Toronto Maple Leafs and signing an NHL contract. He was eager to leave a strong impression at the prospect tournament in Montreal and training camp before returning to the Oshawa Generals for his third OHL season.
Things took a turn for the worse, though, when he was on the receiving end of a hit to the head from free agent invite Marshall Finnie. Danford missed the entirety of Toronto’s rookie and training camp with a concussion and was sent back to Oshawa on Sept. 30.
“Yeah, it was tough,” Danford said on Thursday after the prospect’s first practice session.
“I mean, I've never gone through an injury like that, that length of time being out, especially like a time like training camp, my first training camp. But I learned from it. There's guys that that's their job, is to finish checks and play hard, so I just have to be aware of those type of players.”
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Once Danford returned to the Generals last September, he was named captain of the team. He finished the year strong, scoring five goals and 20 assists in 61 games, and led Oshawa to the OHL Finals against Easton Cowan and the London Knights.
“Some people say he blocks shots like (Chris) Tanev, and he has sneaky-good offensive skill,” Cowan said earlier this summer at Toronto’s development camp. “I’m glad he likes me again [after the playoff series].”
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Danford admitted he feels like a different player entering the prospect camp this year. The 19-year-old is more familiar with the Maple Leafs’ staff, plus he got some work in with Tanev and Morgan Rielly during the month in Toronto this summer, giving him a firsthand look at what it takes to be in the NHL.
“They’re great to me,” he smiled.
The right-shot defenseman is in a unique position coming into this training camp, though. Danford is not quite ready for the NHL, yet there are plenty of situations the Maple Leafs could throw him into to see where he’s at with his development.
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The same goes for the Generals when he returns to the OHL.
“I just want to put myself in a really good spot this training camp. It'd be great to get to some preseason games and show what I got at that level and everything, and we'll see what happens,” he said.
“This year, it's a big year for me. It's my last year of junior and everything, so I just want to go back and work on every aspect of the game. I want to get some more offensive touches that way. Not just because I'm going to be an offensive guy at the next level, it's just to get those puck touches and stuff to get better with the puck and everything.”
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Before anything, Danford needs to get through the Prospect Showdown in Montreal, Quebec, this weekend. He’ll be paired up alongside fellow 2023 sixth-round (185th overall) pick Noah Chadwick, who’s set to enter his first season of pro this fall.
Toronto Marlies head coach John Gruden, who’s overseeing the prospects this week in Toronto and Montreal, says he wants to see Danford be the player he’s been in junior, just now against some tougher competition.
“From watching him play and from what I hear from people, I think he understands what his role is. He's fine with being really good defensively and getting pucks stopped, moving pucks quick to the forwards, and then jumping up in the play when the space is there for him,” Gruden said.
“He does a really good job. I think he understands what his role is. He doesn't really get too caught up, I think, in if he's on the first or second power play or how many points he has. I think his worth is going to be on how he plays physically and how he moves the pucks quickly.”
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