Leafs' first round pick Ben Danford has named first Maple Leaf to contact him, that being the captain and veteran of the team, John Tavares.
While it can be an exciting whirlwind of a time for new draftees in the NHL, there still lies a level of anxiety being selected in general. Will they fit in? Will they get to showcase their talent? For the newest Leafs draft pick Ben Danford, a key locker room leader took the initiative to welcome him to the club.
The 31st overall pick of the 2024 NHL Draft spoke to Nick Alberga and ex-Leaf Jay Rosehill on Leafs Morning Take about the shock of being drafted in the first round by his childhood club.
"[The Leafs] mentioned they were quite interested in me. I talked to them a lot, especially after the season ended, at the combine and other places as well. They seemed very interested.
Obviously, I've been a Leafs fan my whole life and found it something that was really cool to go through. I didn't want to get my hopes up too high, but it worked out really well."
While the former Oshawa General was extremely grateful he was also in complete shock, knowing that while the Leafs certainly had interest in the young defenseman he did not expect to be selected so high.
"Honestly, the second he (Wes Clark) called my name, I kind of blacked out a little bit. I think my whole family was in a little bit of a shock.
We're from a small town so getting drafted on the big stage, especially in the first round, was pretty surreal for my whole family. I mean yeah, I kind of blacked out going down the stairs; my legs felt like Jell-O. It was kind of hard getting around there but no, it was good."
But through the rollercoaster of emotions, a familiar face took the time to reach out to the youngster via text to welcome him. Former Oshawa General and Maple Leafs captain John Tavares reached out to Danford and made sure he knows he will be looked after in his rookie year.
"That connection of both playing for Oshawa, the best organization in junior hockey. It's pretty cool to get a text from a guy like that (Tavares), such a high-character guy and such a great player, it meant a lot."
Though it could be a little while before Danford has found his footing in either the NHL or AHL, long after Tavares is gone; the memory of this whole draft experience will last a lifetime.
