Maple Leafs Prospect Ben Danford Headed to Prestigious NHL Showcase
Photo credit: Steven Ellis - The Daily Faceoff
Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Ben Danford has earned the honor being selected to join Upper Deck's Rookie Showcase, where he'll find himself among some big company.
The allure of ripping open packs of hockey cards is something that fans, players, and everyone in hockey love to do. The thrill of finding an autographed card, or perhaps a game-worn patch can lead to some pretty lucrative opportunities provided you're lucky enough.
One of the biggest pulls someone can get is a rookie card, because it could become valuable if the player becomes a superstar. We've seen other sports cards sell in the six-digits for rookie cards; so there's precedent.
Other Rising Prospects Joining Danford in the Rookie Showcase Spotlight
For Maple Leafs prospect Ben Danford, he is going to get the chance to get himself a card of his own after being invited to the Upper Deck/NHLPA Rookie Showcase in DC.
He will join such names as Matthew Schaefer (New York Islanders), Sam Dickinson (San Jose) and Zayne Parekh (Calgary) who will also get to showcase their skills in front of the camera and be immortalized in cardboard form.
Schaefer was the first overall pick in 2025, meanwhile Dickinson and Parekh were both Top-15 picks in their respective drafts. The others involved include Quinn Hutson (Edmonton), Carter Yaremchuk (Ottawa), David Reinbacher (Montreal), and Brayden Yager (Winnipeg).
Why Ben Danford's NHL Showcase Invite Matters for the Maple Leafs
While the majority of the attention is placed upon Easton Cowan, Danford is quietly becoming a much better defensive player, and his work with the Leafs coaching staff this summer will only make him stronger.
Seeing him get the call with several of the top prospects in the game shows that people have taken notice of Danford, and might give some more attention to the Leafs prospect pool, one that while not outstanding does have several future role-players who can make an impact somewhere in the lineup.
It also highlights Danford's accomplishments over the past few seasons and while he hasn't found OHL Championship glory, he did help lead the Oshawa Generals to the Finals twice but couldn't withstand the powerhouse London Knights (of which Cowan was a part of).
The Maple Leafs often get a lot of flak for their lack of future prospects, who always seem to be dealt away before being given a shot but if they keep hold of Danford; they've potentially got something special on their hands.
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