Although the Toronto Maple Leafs held the 23rd overall pick heading into the first night of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, the club opted to trade down to the 31st pick, acquiring an additional second-round pick in the process. The Leafs aimed to add draft capital while remaining confident they could still select their top choice.
Slotted at the 31st spot, the Leafs selected defenseman Ben Danford from the Ontario Hockey League’s Oshawa Generals – who the club claimed was their target all along.
Nearly a month has passed since the draft concluded, and Danford has had the chance to reflect on the moment he heard his name called by the team he grew up cheering for. On Tuesday, the 18-year-old was interviewed by Nick Alberga and Jay Rosehill of Leafs Morning Take to discuss what it means to be a member of the Maple Leafs organization.
Danford relived the moment he heard his name called under the bright lights in Vegas.
“Honestly, the second he (Wes Clark) called my name, I kind of blacked out a little bit. I think my whole family was in a little bit of a shock,” Danford explained. “We’re from a small town so getting drafted on the big stage, especially in the first round, was pretty surreal for my whole family. I mean yeah, I kind of blacked out going down the stairs; my legs felt like Jell-O. It was kind of hard getting around there but no, it was good.”
Following the NHL combine and draft, Danford participated in the team’s development camp in early July, where Leafs nation had their first glimpse of the Madoc, Ontario native’s game. Danford remarked, “Everything went well and it hasn’t really sunk in yet, to be honest. So it’s been crazy.”
After an outstanding season that saw him flourish in the postseason, Danford notes that the Leafs had him on their radar for quite some time. The sophomore defenseman in the OHL had a goal and a career-high 32 assists in 64 regular season games before adding four goals and six assists in 21 playoff appearances.
“They (the Leafs) mentioned they were quite interested in me. I talked to them a lot, especially after the season ended,” Danford admitted. “At the combine and other places as well. They seemed very interested. Obviously, I’ve been a Leafs fan my whole life and found it something that was really cool to go through. I didn’t want to get my hopes up too high, but it worked out really well.”
Given his 18-year-old status, Danford…