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Maple Leafs prospect Ben Danford has reportedly been invited to Team Canada’s World Juniors camp
Ice Hockey

Maple Leafs prospect Ben Danford has reportedly been invited to Team Canada’s World Juniors camp

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Maple Leafs prospect Ben Danford has reportedly been invited to Team Canada’s World Juniors camp

Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Ben Danford has reportedly been invited to Team Canada’s training camp for the 2026 World Junior Championships, according to The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler.

Team Canada has sent out camp invites for the World Juniors. I hear 15 forwards for 14 spots (plus potential for NHL guys and more cuts). Players I heard have been invited: – Carson Carels (notable) – Jett Luchanko – Cole Beaudoin – Jake O’Brien – Caleb Desnoyers – Ben

Hockey Canada will officially announce their full invite list Monday morning for the camp, which will take place in Niagara Falls from December 12 to 22. They will then confirm a final selection prior to the start of the tournament on Boxing Day.

Danford was selected by the Leafs 31st overall in the first round of the 2024 NHL entry while playing with the OHL’s Oshawa Generals. He spent three seasons in Oshawa, starting there the year before being traded to the Brantford Bulldogs in October.
While captaining the Generals last season, he saw a slight dip in his offensive play, with five goals and 20 assists in 61 games. So far, he’s seen better results in Brantford. In fourteen appearances for the Bulldogs he has now provided eleven assists, a sign that the new environment is helping to redevelop his attacking skills. Above all, the 19-year-old is known for his defensive play and the size he brings to the blue line at 6-foot-4, 200 lbs, with Daily Faceoff prospect expert Steven Ellis writes this fall:

Danford is a guy his teammates like to rely on, as he is rarely caught making a mistake when distributing the puck. I saw Danford play on both sides of the blue line last year, but I think he has something on the left side – it suits his shot better. Danford said he hopes to be like Chris Tanev, which I think is a fair comparison. He’ll probably excel as a number four defenseman in Toronto, but I think he’ll be pretty reliable.

Danford has never appeared with Team Canada at the World Juniors, but played with the U18 team at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in 2023. While he certainly faces stiff competition in the battle for a final spot with the Canadians this year, he is is expected to end up on the roster, according to Ellis.

The 2026 World Juniors will take place from December 26 to January 5 in Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota. After back-to-back quarterfinals, Canada will come in hungry to return to the podium once again.

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