Ben Danford is relishing the thought of playing for Canada at the World Juniors.
The 19-year-old Brantford Bulldogs defenceman was one of 27 players named to Team Canada’s selection camp as the organization looks to rebound from back-to-back fifth-place performances.
Canada’s failure to medal the past two years marks the third time in the tournament’s history that has occurred. Hockey Canada now attempts to avoid missing the podium three years in a row, which hasn’t happened in 45 years.
With the pressure to succeed mounting both internally and externally, Danford is excited to be part of the solution.
“I feel like pressure is a privilege,” Danford told TSN on Wednesday. “Hockey is so big in Canada, and everyone is so passionate about it, which makes it really special. To play at such a high level and to represent your country, it’s a privilege for sure.
“It’s something to take advantage of.”
If Danford is selected this for this year’s tournament, it will be the third time he will wear the red and white in his young career. He previously won a gold medal at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and a silver medal at the 2022 Under-17 World Hockey Challenge.
The 6-foot-2 right-shot blueliner is hoping his ability to be a stay-at-home defenceman who will do anything for the team will help put him over the top to be a difference maker for Team Canada.
“I like to think of myself as a true defenceman,” said Danford. “I’m someone who [thinks] defence first, but I have some secondary offence there as well. I’m someone with a really good first pass and can use their skating ability to their advantage. I play the game hard and will do anything for the team to win.”
Danford’s defensive skills and leadership were on full display over the past two seasons as he helped lead the Ontario Hockey League’s Oshawa Generals to back-to-back OHL Championship Series.
But the Generals ran into a high-powered London Knights team in the final in both seasons, who swept them in 2024 and won in five games in 2025.
The Madoc, Ont., native was named captain of the Generals last season but with Oshawa seeing this season as a rebuilding year, they traded Danford to the Brantford Bulldogs for a package that included three players and nine draft picks in October.
“There’s a lot of fire and fuel from those back-to-back losses, so that’s the only thing I’m kind of worried about this year,” said Danford. “It’s tough to say goodbye to Oshawa, but at the end of the day it was the best thing for the organization. For me, I get to go on another run while Oshawa is in a bit of a rebuild.
“Team success equals individual success and after losing in the final in back-to-back years, to win it would mean that much more.”
Danford joined a Brantford team that sits first place in the OHL with a 23-3-5 record. The team had been active in the trade market leading up to the World Juniors as they also picked up Philadelphia Flyers prospect Jett Luchanko from the Guelph Storm in a second blockbuster trade.
Luchanko and Danford team up with a core that includes Seattle Kraken draft pick Jake O’Brien, Chicago Blackhawks first round pick Marek Vanacker, St. Louis Blues prospect Adam Jiricek, and 2026 top NHL prospect Caleb Malhotra as they make a run for a J. Ross Robertson Cup.
Being on a team that is loaded with talent and experience is something that excites Danford and he believes the multiple strong voices will only help as the season goes forward.
“We have guys you know are leaders and I feel like this is a good thing. It’s the type of room that you want,” said Danford. “We have a lot of older guys in our room who have been through a lot of playoff experience and been in the league for a long time.
“We’re just learning off each other and we’re always learning something new.”
One of the experiences Danford can lean on as he enters games with high stakes is his time with the Toronto Maple Leafs during their training camp the past two seasons.
Danford was drafted 31st overall by Toronto in 2024, and, as someone who great up in Southern Ontario as a Leaf fan, he knows what being a member of the team means to the community and the extra pressure that comes with it.
That experience can come in handy as he get ready to be exposed to a similar type of pressure when playing for Team Canada.
“Storied organizations like the Leafs have a lot of history, media, fans, and extra stuff,” said Danford. “There’s pressure there, for sure, but I’s pretty cool how passionate everyone is there. They’re always looking at the team, who is up and coming, and they’re invested in the organization, so I feel welcomed.”