First-round pick Ben Danford signs contract with Maple Leafs to start NHL journey

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The Maple Leafs have signed their first-round backyard gem of a General. 

On Friday, the club announced that Ben Danford, chosen 31st overall in June, had agreed to a three-year entry level deal, with a $964,000 U.S. cap hit. Danford had a goal and 32 assists in a great graduating year for the Oshawa Generals. The 6-foot, 192-pound native of Madoc, Ont., helped get his team to the Ontario Hockey League final where they were topped by fellow Toronto first-rounder Easton Cowan and the London Knights. 

At the Leafs development camp in July, Danford got to play with Cowan and another first-round forward, Fraser Minten, and hang around together off ice. Leafs assistant general manager Hayley Wickenheiser was pleased with Danford’s progress and his former Generals’ coach, Derek Laxdal, spoke highly of his NHL future. Danford joins many other prospects this month working out for autumn training camp.  

“Some players come into junior and think they have to get 100 points or, as a defenceman, score 20 goals, to get noticed,” Laxdal told the Sun in June. “At first, Ben was like that, but Steve O’Rourke (who succeeded Laxdal after the latter took an AHL head coaching position), does a great job with him. 

“Part of our teaching (in Oshawa) is if you embrace who you are, you can be a very good NHL player. He’s a shot-blocking, smooth-skating defenceman with a lot of different abilities. You can sit down and have an adult conversation with Danny. You saw with the media interviews (at the draft in Las Vegas) that he was very genuine. 

“He was under the microscope here every night, as assistant captain, with the role he had and all the scouts being here. It will help that he comes from a great family. His Dad was a Leafs fan, too.” 

Lhornby@postmedia.com 

X: @sunhornby