As Toronto Maple Leafs 2024 first-round pick Ben Danford finishes a battle drill at the organization's development camp, he receives a stick-tap from Jake Muzzin.
The 36-year-old, who moved into a development role with the Maple Leafs last summer after scouting for the 2022-23 season, has been working behind the scenes with Toronto's top defensive prospects this past season.
Muzzin would have calls nearly every week with prospects like Danford and 2023 sixth-round pick Noah Chadwick throughout the year, dissecting their game and, at times, texting them clips of plays from NHL games he was watching. He’d even come to Danford’s games, too.
"A couple times a month [I'd have calls with Muzzin]," Danford said in a one-on-one with The Hockey News Toronto on Friday.
"It was mostly just my kind of video, my shifts. If he would send me a text or something, it might be a clip of an NHL game on just that night. Maybe a D-man had a broken play and it turned into the other team scoring, like things you don’t want to see, so things like that.
"But when it was Zoom calls, it was just looking at my shifts, focusing on myself, really just watching me, how I can make my teammates better, plays I can do better, and stuff like that."
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The 19-year-old Danford is coming off his third season with the OHL's Oshawa Generals, where he captained the club to the OHL Championship Final against Easton Cowan and the London Knights. Oshawa was able to steal one game from London before the Knights won the title and went on to win the Memorial Cup.
Cowan didn’t take to the ice during development camp, though when he spoke about Danford, he recalled how difficult it was to go up against him.
"Some people say he blocks shots like (Chris) Tanev, and he has sneaky-good offensive skill… I’m glad he likes me again [after the playoff series]."
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"He just kills plays," added Toronto 2025 third-round pick Tyler Hopkins, who’s had his fair share of battles with Danford being in the same division.
"Once you hit that blue line, he’s coming at you and he’s coming at you fast. And he has a really good stick as well, which makes it a lot harder for a player trying to get by and not turn that puck over at the blue line."
When Danford arrived in Toronto a week before development camp, he was able to skate a few times with Tanev. The young defender praised the veteran defenseman for his character, both on and off the ice, adding he’ll be skating with him more over the summer.
"He’s been phenomenal. I’ve looked up to him for quite a few years now. I feel like that’s someone I can really learn off of," said Danford. "He’s just that rock-solid D-man that can contribute second-piece offense as well."
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Danford might not have had as many points this year compared to last season, though he's certainly taken a step away from the puck. He's become stronger, more physical, and is constantly working on becoming a much meaner defender who'll one day step onto the Maple Leafs' blue line.
"His game is starting to calm down," said assistant GM, player development, Hayley Wickenheiser. "He's a great skater. He moves as well as anyone on the ice here. Sometimes he tries to do too much when he plays in the OHL with Oshawa, and we've just been talking to him about taking the time to play calm, getting inside lanes to block shots."
Throughout Toronto’s 2025 development camp, defensemen have raved about having players like Muzzin and Mark Giordano—who addressed the prospects—being around the facilities.
"Those guys were unreal NHL defensemen," Danford said. "To learn off of (Muzzin) and what he’s taught me already in my first year with the Leafs, I think, yeah, I just want to keep working with him. He’s great, we have a really good relationship."
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Working first-hand with Muzzin this year has been an eye-opening experience for Danford.
"If I could ever play like the way he did, I’d be pretty happy with my NHL career. He was a feisty player, someone who was physical. He’d lay hits. He’s a two-way guy. He put up some really good numbers some seasons," the defensive prospect said.
"But defensively, just his details, and I mean, he won a Cup. I mean, to do that, it’s a dream come true, so if I can ever do that, it would be awesome."
Chadwick as well.
"I couldn’t really ask for anything better. He’s a fantastic human being. Good character. He’s special to work with and passed a lot of good lessons on to me. Just hoping to continue to build my game with him as I step into pro."
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Danford is a strong skater who can move laterally very well. He’s got all the tools to be an NHL defender, from the size, speed, and strength in front of the net. There are a couple of areas of his game that need work if he wants to step into an NHL role sooner rather than later.
"Who knows when I’m going to make the jump to pro, but I think I need to get bigger and stronger and faster," said Danford. "The way (NHL players) can move and stuff and how strong they are on pucks, that’s a really big eye-opener, so I feel like that’s something that I can really get better at."
The most important piece of advice he’s received from Muzzin, though, is to keep things simple with the puck.
"I mean it’s simple, like the word is simple actually," he smiled.
"To get to the next level, the coaches need to trust you and you need to limit your mistakes when you first come up, so that all starts now in junior. Limiting my mistakes, keeping it simple. When that first pass is there, take it, don’t overcomplicate things.
"Just use my skating to my advantage, we both think that’s something that can really help me to get to the next level, so I think that’s one thing, though, just really simplify things, don’t overdo things."
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It’s a fascinating situation for Toronto’s top defensive prospects. They have someone a couple of years removed from his hockey career, helping them develop into players who hope to one day play consistently in the NHL.
A player’s game can get to another level when you’re constantly surrounded by players who are still in the league, or those who’ve retired recently.
"I feel like because he just retired, you can relate off him just as much," Danford said. "He knows what the speed and the game is like at the NHL level, he had a long career, a successful one, so it’s really cool to work with him and everything just because of that for sure."
Having players like Muzzin, Tanev, Giordano, and Kyle Clifford around, plus even Wickenheiser and Danielle Goyette, allows prospects an up-close-and-personal view of what’s needed to take another step in their game.
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The hope for Toronto is that a few of these prospects can turn into homegrown defensemen who can play a key role with the Maple Leafs down the line, something they haven’t had since drafting Morgan Rielly in 2012.
"I think for these players, they love and look up to the players that played," Wickenheiser said. "When they talk, the players listen. They’ve been through it. They know what it’s like, and they bring a lot of wisdom and experience that they can still relate to."
(Top photo of Muzzin and Danford: Nick Barden / The Hockey News Toronto)
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