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Why Maple Leafs prospect Ben Danford is being compared to Fraser Minten

The maturity and poise in Ben Danford's game has him on a path to one day patrolling the blue line for the Maple Leafs.

Published Oct 07, 2026  •  Last updated 1 hour ago  •  4 minute read

Nick Paul (left) and Ben Danford compete during Toronto Maple Leafs training camp. Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun

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As part of our Maple Leafs coverage at the Toronto Sun, we’re keeping regular tabs on the club’s prospects and other hopefuls, checking in with potential Leafs across the hockey landscape.

Today, we talk to Toronto Marlies defenceman Ben Danford.

When the playoffs started last spring, Danford, the Leafs’ first-round pick in 2024, had a title in mind.

After all, the Brantford Bulldogs were the favourite to win the Ontario Hockey League championship and Danford, acquired from the Oshawa Generals at the end of last October, was expected to be a major cog in a playoff run.

It didn’t happen, at least, not in Brantford, as the Bulldogs were upset in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference final by the Barrie Colts.

That was on May 4. The Leafs got in touch with Danford and told him to take his time and say his goodbyes to teammates. The Marlies were in the thick of a playoff series in Laval and it wasn’t clear whether they were going to advance in the Calder Cup playoffs.

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What happened next couldn’t have turned out better for Danford, the Leafs’ top prospect among defencemen.

On May 9, the Marlies beat Laval to face Cleveland in the Eastern Conference division finals. So confident was the organization in Danford that he was inserted into the Marlies lineup for Game 1 of the  series against Cleveland on May 14.

Danford played in all 16 remaining Marlies playoff games, taking on a crucial role as the club won its first Calder Cup since 2018.

“That was huge, getting a sniff last year, getting comfortable in the room,” Danford said after practice at the Ford Performance Centre earlier this week. “I already have all of these relationships built with all of these guys. We won together, we got so tight.

“I didn’t really know what to expect. It’s definitely weird. You’re coming into it a new team right in the middle of a playoff run, and they gave me the shot. They gave me an opportunity.

“I took it and ran with it. I felt like I kept performing well and helping the team win. It was a whirlwind but it was so good for my confidence.”

An irony now is that the 20-year-old Danford remains an American Hockey League rookie as the 2026-27 season gets underway.

The goal for the Belleville native in his first full season of professional hockey is fairly straightforward.

“Consistency is a huge part of it,” Danford said. “You’re going to have off-nights, but being able to string a lot of games together and not get away from my foundation of playing hard defensively, being able to break out the puck really well and get my feet up ice, those are two things that they want to see out of me.

“It has been a great start. They’re giving me a lot of opportunity. I’m playing the penalty kill, which I’m comfortable doing. I did a lot in junior and I embrace it.”

Danford and veteran Marshall Rifai formed a smart pairing for the Marlies on the way to beating the Chicago Wolves in the Calder Cup final, so it’s no surprise they’ve started the season together under Steve Sullivan, who took over as Marlies head coach when John Gruden was promoted to the Leafs staff.

Rifai doesn’t doubt that Danford will one day patrol the blue line for the Leafs — and do so effectively. There are a few reasons why.

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“He’s asking the right questions and, on the ice, he’s mature in terms being in the right spot, or if he does make a mistake, he’s quick to own it,” Rifai said. “He reminds me a lot of Fraser Minten (traded to the Boston Bruins in 2025) in the way he carries himself, there’s a certain level of humility.

“(Danford) is one of those guys you’re not going to see on the scoresheet all the time, but he plays winning hockey. He has winning habits. He closes space really well. He uses his feet when he needs to.

“For his age and where his game is, he’s probably one of the most mature prospects I’ve seen come through here. Fraser wasn’t our top scorer, but he’s having the most success in the NHL of most of the prospects that have been here and I think Ben’s going to be on that path too.”

Different positions, yes, as Minten is a centre. Same mindset, though. It’s a nice compliment for Danford.

What does Sullivan want to see out of Danford in the coming months?

“Continued growth,” Sullivan said. “Putting him in situations that we think that he’s going to excel in the National Hockey League. It’s all about reps at this point for him. He’s still young. We know what his upside can be.

“It’s making sure that the development continues while and we try to get him up to the Leafs as fast as possible.”

tkoshan@postmedia.com

X: @koshtorontosun

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