Your first look at 2024 1st round pick Ben Danford as a Toronto Maple Leaf
It's been less than a week since Ben Danford was drafted by the Maple Leafs in the 1st round of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft and he's already on the ice at Ford Performance Centre in Toronto.
Danford is taking part in his first ever Maple Leafs Development Camp with a slew of other exciting young prospects, including 2023 1st round pick Easton Cowan and 2022 2nd round pick Fraser Minten.
The 31st overall pick in this year's draft, Danford is looking to put his best foot forward in his first taste of on-ice action with his favourite NHL team, and as he skated out onto the ice, the first thing I noticed in this clip, shared by TSN's Mark Masters on Twitter/X, is that Danford is wearing #38, last worn by former Leafs 1st rounder Rasmus Sandin.
The number 38 was also previously worn by Colin Greening, Kyle McLaren and Jay Rosehill, among others, dating back to the first Leaf who ever wore the number, Chris Snell, back in 1994.
Danford is very possibly still 3-4 years away from becoming a full-time NHLer, if all goes well in his development, but the Maple Leafs' scouting staff, headed by Wes Clark, absolutely raved about Danford's abilities following the draft.
Clark confirmed that when the Leafs saw an opportunity to trade down and still land the Madoc, Ontario native in the 1st round and pick up and additional draft pick, they were elated. Clark also revealed that even though many scouts had Danford slated to go in the 2nd round, the Leafs were not about to trade down a second time and chance missing him. He was their guy from day one.
Danford, a 6'2, near 200-pound right-shot defenseman, is downright "mean", as Daily Faceoff's Hunter Crowther refered to him after the draft. Sounds like the Leafs have a future star defenseman on their hands.
Source for jersey number info: Hockey-Reference
Maple Leafs jersey numbers, all-time
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 3 | 570 ANSWERS Your first look at 2024 1st round pick Ben Danford as a Toronto Maple Leaf Will Ben Danford develop into a legit top-4 defenseman? | ||
| Yes | 438 | 76.8 % |
| No | 132 | 23.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
