Ben Danford is getting familiar with playing hockey deep into the spring.
The 20-year-old defenceman, who was selected 31st overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, reached the Ontario Hockey League final in each of the previous two seasons as a member of the Oshawa Generals, falling to the London Knights each time.
Now Danford is set to compete in another championship series this time as a member of the upstart Toronto Marlies, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Maple Leafs.
Danford joined the Marlies in the third round of their playoff run (the AHL postseason has five rounds) after his current junior team, the Brantford Bulldogs, were eliminated in the Conference Final of the OHL playoffs and has since helped the Marlies reach the Calder Cup Finals against the Chicago Wolves.
“It’s been pretty crazy. If somebody told me at the start of the year that I’d be in the Calder Cup Finals in June, I would of told them that they’re lying,” Danford told TSN 1050 Wednesday morning during an appearance on First Up.
Danford split the 2025-26 regular season between the Generals and Bulldogs, scoring three goals and 17 assists over 45 games in his fourth year of junior hockey.
He had one goal and two assists over Brantford’s 13-game playoff run before recording two assists over 11 playoff games with the Marlies, his first taste of pro hockey.
Danford said there are clear differences between the two levels of hockey.
“You’re going against like grown men now. They’re stronger, it comes with battles and stuff. I have to bear down a bit more and obviously the game’s a lot faster. You don’t have as much time and space out there,” explained Danforth. “It’s a lot different when you have a 30-year-old running you on the fore-check, just getting used to that. But I feel like every game I’ve gotten more confident and just kind of getting in the groove of things and just looking forward to this last series to see and hopefully get it done.”
The Marlies are making a somewhat surprising run after finishing fourth in the North Division during the regular season with a 36-26-5-5 record.
They upset the Cleveland Monsters and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in back-to-back long series to reach the Calder Cup Finals for the first time since 2018, the year they won their first and only league title.
“This team never takes no for an answer. We’re in every single game. We have a never-give-up mindset, it’s just really fun hockey. Now we’re in the finals, now we can get the job done,” said Danford. “This is my third year in a row that I went to a final, so hopefully third time is a charm.”
Danford said he’s never been on a team that faces adversity as well as this Marlies group does, adding head coach John Gruden, assistant Mark Giordano and the team’s veteran leadership as key factors in the team’s positive culture.
“I think they [coaches] all just harp on just sticking to our game plan, don’t get away from it. We have so many leaders and vets in that room, guys that are so experienced and obviously at the end of the day, all everyone wants to do is just win,” he said.
After four strong years of junior hockey and now success at the pro level in the AHL, Danford could be primed to earn a spot with the Maple Leafs in 2026-27.
The Maple Leafs missed the playoffs for the first time in nine years this past season and might be interested in giving their blueline a fresh look with general manager John Chayka now running the show.
Danford says he wants to have a strong summer of training as his goal is to make the Leafs’ opening night roster in the fall.
“I think this stint with the Marlies to finish off the year is going to be really good for me. To be able to get a sniff of pro hockey before I even really start my first year. It’s gonna come with having a big summer and stuff, but you know, I feel like going into training camp next year, I want to put myself in the best spot I can and that’s to make the Leafs,” said Danford. “My goal is to make the opening night roster next year. We’ll see what happens. Everyone has a different path and everything, so who knows, but obviously that’s my end goal.”
The Calder Cup Finals is a seven-game series and begins Friday in Chicago.
