Ben Danford leans on Easton Cowan as he begins his World Juniors journey with Team Canada
Photo credit: John E. Soko#322;owski (Cowan image)
Team Canada defenseman and Maple Leafs prospect Ben Danford told reporters he's looking to Easton Cowan for advice and support ahead of the World Juniors.
Only a couple weeks away from kicking off, the World Junior Championships are going to showcase some of the world's best young talent in hockey, with teams like Canada, the United States, Sweden, and Finland all taking part.
Team Canada is expected to have a star-studded roster headlined by names like Zayne Parekh, Keaton Verhoeff, Gavin McKenna and Porter Martone. The team is looking to bounce back from a quarterfinal loss to Czechia in 2025 which eliminated them from the tournament.
Ben Danford gets timely advice from Easton Cowan ahead of World Juniors
One name who is expected to play a huge part in Team Canada's quest for gold is Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Ben Danford, who is more than likely making the team and will give Canada a ton of no-nonsense defense with blocked shots and penalty killing.
It's going to be a bit nerve-racking for the Maple Leafs prospect, but he's got some help getting through the grind.
Danford, speaking to reporters on Monday, explained that he is getting a lot of support from Maple Leafs rookie Easton Cowan, who has his own experience playing in the World Juniors.
Danford noted that Cowan has been constantly checking in on Danford and making sure everything is going smoothly:
We talk on almost a daily basis. He was just texting asking how the first days have been. He said, 'You'll do just fine. Just go make the team & win it all.'
On the flip side, Cowan's advice to Danford seemed to bring a smile to his face, as head coach Dale Hunter is going to absolutely love what Danford brings on the ice; at least according to Cowan:
He said that he likes guys that play hard, block shots & that made me smile because, you know, that's what I like to do. So, it's perfect.
But Danford's success in the tournament could lead to bigger things down the line.
A strong World Juniors would boost Ben Danford's NHL chances
Danford is a name who is still a bit of a wild-card with the Maple Leafs as he's still a year or so away from making the team, but he's been stellar in junior and if anyone knows what he brings, it's Cowan.
The two faced off in consecutive years for the OHL Championship in 2024 and 2025, and Danford's continued to help lead team's to success.
Having moved from Oshawa to Brantford, he's part of a group helping the Bulldogs to a 23-3-5 record and has 16 points in 23 games (2 goals, 14 assists), a minus-2 and only nine PIM so far this season.
If he can put in a strong effort and show the Maple Leafs they can depend on him to block shots, kill penalties and throw his weight around; he could come aboard sooner than later.
He got a lot of praise from Craig Berube in the preseason, and his continued success this season shows that while he might not be the focal point on a team, he's a wonderful supplementary piece.
So he's got a bit of a journey to make the Maple Leafs, but the first step is the World Juniors and it sounds like he's ready to not only make Team Canada, but bring them redemption for last year's disappointing finish.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 15 | 803 ANSWERS Ben Danford leans on Easton Cowan as he begins his World Juniors journey with Team Canada Will Ben Danford help Team Canada secure a gold medal? | ||
| Yes | 621 | 77.3 % |
| No | 182 | 22.7 % |
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