Thirty-five years after the Toronto Marlboros made his dad a 15th-round pick, Ben Danford is looking to follow in his father’s footsteps by getting selected the Ontario Hockey League draft.

The native of Madoc, Ont., is a smooth-skating defenceman who captained the U16 AAA Quinte Red Devils to an undefeated regular season ahead of the OMHA championships. That success has helped position him as a prospect to watch ahead of the draft next month.

Danford was inspired to play hockey by his dad, Allan, who was also a smooth-skating defenceman when he was picked in 1987. The similarities between them are strong enough that “often when people are watching Ben play, they always say that he looks just like Al out there,” says Danford’s mom, Lesley.

Wheeling on the ice isn’t the sole reason OHL teams are taking note of the younger Danford.

Red Devils coach Ken Chesher praises Danford as “a great person (that) leads us on and off the ice,” producing a leadership built on maturity. 

Mom Lesley sees a quiet confidence that he’s honed “down to a science,” while sister Sydney adds that “he’s been put in a lot of stressful situations, and he handled that like a champ.”

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An example came during the COVID-19 lockdowns, when he wasn’t able to practice or get to the rink. Rather than moping, he headed down to the family basement and went to work on the skills he could practice, zeroing in on things like his shooting.

“I kind of took it like a positive and I just took advantage of the time off just to work on my weaknesses,” says Danford.

He puts the same determination into his on-ice work.

Danford skates on his own during the off-season and works with power-skating instructor Chris Longo and does dry-land work with Jeremy Benoit, who is also the strength and conditioning coach for the Ottawa Senators. 

“Jeremy and Chris try to put stuff together that complement one another,” says Al, “and then Ben has just put a lot of time into it.”

Danford concedes that the OHL draft is “definitely on my mind,” understandable even with the OMHA championships upcoming. But he’s working to stay in the moment, right down to maintaining all his rituals.

“I'm pretty superstitious,” he says. “I usually eat the same meal, chicken parm. I always have to sit next to the same guy in the dressing room, and when I get dressed I usually put on all my right side equipment before my left.”

It’s taken him this far and perhaps on to the same path his father took back in 1987.