After a breakout sophomore campaign, Ben Danford is currently ranked 35th on NHL Central Scouting's list of North American skaters.

Ben Danford is a reliable defender, who's 2023-24 season sent him shooting up rankings for the upcoming draft.

Those that are swooning over the offensive juggernaut that is Zayne Parekh, or drooling over Sam Dickinson's puck carrying abilities may be overlooking Danford's reliable 200-foot game. 

He can be characterized succinctly as a player who looks after the little things and ensures that he rarely makes big mistakes. 

"My skating ability and my competitiveness are the things that headline my strengths," said Danford when asked about his greatest strengths at the draft combine. "I think I can play in a lot of different situations and I like eating up minutes."

While it is easy to make that statement now, Danford has gone through a lot of growth with the Generals in the past two seasons.

The Oshawa Generals drafted Danford 14th overall in the 2022 OHL Priority Selection. In his rookie campaign with the Generals, Danford scored 4 goals and recorded 17 assists for a total of 21 points in 63 games played. 

It was a somewhat modest showing that placed him 20th in rookie scoring and 7th amongst rookie defenders. 

Going into his sophomore year, Danford made some big steps that resulted in him becoming a key part of the General's D-core. 

The right-handed defender only scored one goal, but added 32 assists for a total of 33 points in 64 games during the 2023-24 season. That's a 57 per cent increase from his rookie season. 

Offensively, he relies on his strong skating to hold off defenders while using his excellent vision to move pucks to his teammates. When in doubt, Danford will often take high percentage shots that result in rebounds and secondary opportunities for his teammates. 

Beyond the offensive improvement, Danford is also recognized as one of the leaders of the Generals squad. As a sophomore, he was an alternate captain for the team and used his hard work to lead by example. 

One of the best example of his leadership ability is his willingness to block shots. 

"I think blocking shots comes with competitiveness," said Danford. "I've always been a guy that wanted to win, and I think blocking shots and sacrificing your body is a big part of it. It's something I have always had in my game."

His hard work and leadership showed during the playoffs. Through 21 games he recorded 4 goals and 6 assists for a total of 10 points. 

Defensively, he is very reliable. He positions well, and takes away attacking players options on the rush. 

In his rookie campaign Danford ended the season a -4. That all change this past season where he finished the year a +27. The only Generals defender who did better was Luca Marrelli who recorded a +28. 

At the NHL level, Danford projects as a middle-pairing defender who can be relied upon to play a solid 200-foot game and play in all situations. 

Currently, he is ranked behind only Parekh and Dickinson on the NHL Central Scouting's North American Skaters list. Fans of whichever team selects Danford can be assured their team is investing in a reliable defender with great potential and leadership qualities.