Ben Danford Says Calder Cup Run Changed His Game

Ben Danford's first taste of pro hockey came with a championship attached, and he is counting on it carrying over.

The 20-year-old Maple Leafs defense prospect, part of Toronto's roster for the 2026 Prospect Challenge, spoke to reporters on Sept. 11 about the stretch that followed his 2025-26 OHL season ending: an assignment to the Toronto Marlies and a Calder Cup run.

"I thought the way I translated my game just kinda played with confidence and the 'Don't worry about the mistakes 'cause they're gonna happen' kinda thing," Danford said. "I thought I handled the pressure, you might say, pretty well. Just hopefully build that confidence I built in that playoff run into this training camp. So that's the plan."

He was blunt about what the next step requires.

"Just gotta be a steady 200-foot defenseman. Someone that they can rely on defensively," he said. "At the NHL level, you're going against grown men that are really strong, and you gotta really bear down. I also have to be able to make a good first breakout pass as well."

Danford is not the only young Leafs prospect with Marlies experience on his resume. Forward Harry Nansi, 19, signed an amateur tryout agreement with Toronto's AHL club late last season to get a look at the pro environment. He does not have an entry-level contract with the organization.

Nansi told the Owen Sound Sun Times he will line up wherever he is asked. "It doesn't matter, really. I'll do whatever to help the team. If coach wants me at center, I'll play center. If he wants me on my off-wing, I'll play on my off-wing," he said.

His Owen Sound head coach, Keenan Reynolds, wants more volume out of him this season. "We're going to challenge him to shoot a lot more this year. I keep telling him he only had 13 goals last year. It's getting under his skin, so he's going to be shooting a lot this year," Reynolds said.