Maple Leafs prospect and OHL star Ben Danford to play significant role for Team Canada at WJC

Don't look now, but the World Juniors are coming up fast, and selection camp is already underway, with the hopefuls battling for the limited roster spots available. One of those hopefuls is Maple Leafs prospect Ben Danford.

It's always an honour for a player to be able to represent their country in the world stage, and it's also a fairly exclusive club, with nations generally choosing the best of the best to step into roles for their respective teams.

The fact that Danford was being considered at all was always flattering, but now, things have reached the next level, and Danford appears to be in line for an actual roster spot with Team Canada.

Below, prospect analyst Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff has shared Team Canada's lineup for December 14th's selection camp session. Danford's name was listed among the 6 regulars on defense.

Scout Ryan Ma also made it a point to highlight the fact that Danford appears to be favoured to slot in next to the 2026 NHL draft-eligible Carson Carels on the team's 3rd pairing, setting up a shutdown/matchups pair for Canada.

Earlier this season, Danford was traded from the Oshawa Generals to the Brantford Bulldogs, and the fresh start has done wonders for his offensive numbers.

After producing 25 points in 61 games with Oshawa last season, and beginning his year with 4 points in 8 games, Danford has really kicked things up a notch with Brantford, tallying 12 points in 15 games.

Granted, his game is geared more towards defense and physicality, but if Danford is finally beginning to tap into some offensive potential, he could become a dual threat for the Maple Leafs when he's finally ready to make the jump.

For now, though, becoming a dual threat for Team Canada at the upcoming WJC tournament is a pretty solid way to get things started and test his mettle against the best players in his age range.