Ben Danford wants to be the next Chris Tanev.
Luckily for the 18-year-old, he’ll get a chance to work in training camp with a player he’s emulated for a few years now.
The Oshawa Generals defender, who the Leafs took 31st overall in June’s entry draft, guested on Tuesday’s edition of Leafs Morning Take.
When prompted by Jay Rosehill about some of the new additions on Toronto’s back end, Danford was quick to bring up Tanev’s name.
“One guy that I liked to compare myself during the whole draft process was Tanev actually,” Danford stated. “He can skate well and break out the puck and can block a lot of shots and play that style of game.”
Rcently, at Toronto’s prospect development camp, Danford had a chance to spend a lot of time working with Jake Muzzin, who played the same heavy brand through the course of his NHL career.
“It was super cool [to work with Muzzin]. He’s a guy that I watched not too many years ago when he was on the Leafs,” Danford said. “He’s just a great mentor and I just can’t wait to keep feeding off him.”
For now, the Madoc, Ontario native realizes that the process has only just begun. Danford has his eyes firmly set on having another strong season for the Ontario Hockey’s League Oshawa Generals.
“I think we’re going to have a really strong team in Oshawa, so I think our whole team is pretty excited. We had a good run last year, and I think we’re hungry for more this year,” Danford proclaimed.
All in all, Danford is extremely self-aware. He seems like the prototypical team guy. On the surface, there’s nothing flashy about his game, but in the long run, there’s no question that you need hard-nosed players like him in order to make a difference.
“Team success leads to individual success, and I think that is really true. I’m just looking forward to a great year with my team.”
Indisputably, it’s too way early to make an assessment – one way or another — on what the Leafs truly have in Danford. That said, rest assured, the life-long Leafs fan is ready to work his tail off to live out his childhood dream.
