'It was surreal': Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Ben Danford finds leadership in breakthrough season with Oshawa Generals
Ben Danford (via Getty Images)
When the Oshawa Generals awarded Ben Danford the 'C' to begin the 2024–25 OHL season, they weren't simply presenting the letter to a veteran returnee. They were charging a third-year defenseman with being the pulse of a franchise rich in history.
Now that the season concludes with another deep playoff run and another consecutive OHL Finals appearance, the 19-year-old Toronto Maple Leafs prospect has not only solidified himself as a reliable leader but as a player refashioning his game.
Ben Danford leans into leadership, physicality and
200-foot game
in breakout OHL season as Oshawa Generals' captain
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The Oshawa Generals reached the OHL Championship Series once again, only to fall to the London Knights in five games — a bitter déjà vu after being swept by the same team in 2024.
Despite winning Game 1 on the road, the Oshawa Generals dropped the next four games, handing London their only loss of the playoffs.
'It was surreal,' Ben Danford said. 'It was an honor to wear the 'C' on a team like Oshawa, especially the organization behind me. All the great players that have come through and the captains that have come through the organization. There's a lot of leaders on our team this year so I was really honored to get recognized like that.'
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One of the largest alterations in Danford's game this year was his adoption of a more physical, attacking brand of play — something he credits partly to Generals assistant coach Patrick Sexton.
'I feel like it's something that's a part of the game that you lay a big hit, sometimes you have to answer the bell. I feel like I'm comfortable doing that type of thing,' Danford said. 'I'm not a heavyweight by any means, but I can hold my own.
I feel throughout my whole game, defensively, that's obviously the strong attribute of my game. I thought I got better that way and got more physical, I wanted to bring that component to my game.
Offensively, I didn't get as many looks as I maybe wanted. Maybe my points are what I was looking for. I was really happy throughout my whole season. My 200-foot game, that's kind of what I look at. Defense first, and offense is there.'
Even though Danford's season point tally fell from 33 to 25, he did score more goals than last year and assumed more responsibility under all circumstances.
His 200-foot game impressed the Maple Leafs, who selected Danford 31st overall in 2024 and are following his development closely. Having scored five points (2G, 3A) in 21 playoff appearances, Danford believes he is now ready for the next level — but is aware consistency will be the watchword.
'I feel like they're (Leafs) happy with my season. I think personally, something I could get better at is consistency, at times. As the year went on, I think I got a lot more consistent with my game, but as things started to pick up after Christmas, I thought I was a lot better. Before that, I felt I was a bit inconsistent at times,' Danford explained.
What's next?
With the 2025 offseason on the horizon, Danford's mind is laser focused: get better, make a good impression at Toronto's development camp, and one step closer to being a full-time pro.
'I think they were happy with my game, and yeah, they just want to see me just keep getting better and better, especially this offseason – it's a huge offseason for me. Getting stronger, faster, doing anything to be that much better next season,' Danford added.
Also read:
Toronto Maple Leafs brace for impact; Mitch Marner contract negotiations stall before 2025 free agency
As he develops his game — leadership, physicality, two-way dependability — Danford is showing he's more than a future NHL defensemen, but a player willing to take the spotlight, pressure, and battle.
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