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Maple Leafs Prospect Roundup: Danford’s depth role for Canada, Holinka’s hat trick
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Photo credit: (Steven Ellis/The Nation Network)
Nick Richard
Dec 30, 2025, 10:30 ESTUpdated: Dec 30, 2025, 10:16 EST
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Hockey’s brief holiday break came to an end with the World Juniors getting underway in Minnesota on Boxing Day, and Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Ben Danford was a part of the group that took the ice as Canada began its pursuit to avenge back-to-back years without a medal for Canada.
Canada didn’t begin their tournament slate with a traditional marquee matchup, but after being eliminated by Czechia in each of the last two years, there was more than enough motivation for them to get off to a good start against the Czechs this time around. Danford began the contest lined up on Canada’s third pair alongside Islanders prospect Kashawn Aitcheson, but with seven blueliners dressed, there was some mixing and matching throughout the contest.
Known more for his physicality and defensive presence, Danford flashed a bit of offensive awareness early against Czechia. Less than a minute after the Czechs had tied the game at one, Danford took a breakout pass just inside Canada’s blueline and skated it through an open lane in the neutral zone before dropping the puck to Predators first-rounder Brady Martin as he entered the offensive zone. Rather than peeling away and retreating into a defensive posture, Danford drove into the slot and cut across the goaltender’s line of sight just as Michael Hage took a feed from Martin and wired it into the back of the net.
That assist early in Canada’s tournament opener is Danford’s only point through three games, and he has contributed in other ways like being a fixture on the penalty kill, but his role has diminished in each subsequent outing. He played 17:43 against Czechia, the fourth most among Canadian defenders, then 13:18 in a 2-1 overtime win against Latvia, and he was down to just 11:46 in a 9-1 blowout win over Denmark. Head coach Dale Hunter and his staff inserted Keaton Verhoeff against Denmark, and with the game well in hand from the beginning, they gave him an opportunity to show what he could do with a regular shift. The dip in ice time against Latvia can be partially attributed to Danford taking a four-minute penalty in the second period, but much of Verhoeff’s ice time against Denmark came at Danford’s expense. Verhoeff looked every bit the part of a potential top-three pick in the upcoming draft, registering an assist in just under 15 minutes of action, but that doesn’t necessarily mean Danford will be relegated to serving as the seventh defenceman the rest of the way.
While Canada’s back end is full of two-way puck movers who can drive offence, Danford’s skill set is more specialized at this level. That’s not to say Danford isn’t capable of skating pucks out of trouble or that he can’t make a good first pass, because he can certainly do both of those things, but his greatest contributions to this team will come in tighter games when Canada needs a big penalty kill, or they’re defending a lead late in the third period. Danford was never expected to take on a starring role for Canada’s World Junior team, but he fills a very specific and important role that will surely be needed if this group is to end the nation’s medal drought.

Notes from the rest of the prospect pool:

  • 2024 fourth-rounder Victor Johansson is also taking part in this year’s World Juniors, suiting up for his home country of Sweden. He was a healthy scratch as Sweden opened the tournament with a 3-2 win over Slovakia, but he has gotten into each of their last two games. He has been used sparingly, however, seeing less than seven minutes of ice time and going without a point in each contest, and he was on the ice for Germany’s only goal in an 8-1 blowout for the Swedes.
  • Miroslav Holinka has had a tremendous season for Edmonton in the WHL, and he has kept up his torrid pace as the 2025 calendar year nears an end. He entered Sunday’s matchup against Lethbridge with 15 points in his previous eight games, and he extended his point streak to five games by potting a hat trick as the Oil Kings emerged victorious by a score of 5-2. So far this season, Holinka ranks fifth in WHL scoring with 20 goals and 28 assists in just 31 games.
  • There were a handful of moves in the OHL following the holiday roster freeze, and Leafs prospect Tyler Hopkins was one of the players heading to a new team. The Kingston Frontenacs dealt Hopkins to the Guelph Storm in exchange for 2026 draft-eligible forward Alex McLean and three draft picks. Hopkins has yet to suit up with his new club, but figures to jump into a top-six role as Guelph pushes for a playoff spot in the second half. In 29 games with Kingston before the trade, he had 12 goals and 13 assists.
  • Artur Akhtyamov has been forced into a heavier workload with Dennis Hildeby holding down the number two job with the big club, and following a pair of subpar outings, he had one of his best games of the season against Belleville on Boxing Day. He stopped 30 of the 32 shots he faced, including a number of difficult saves, on his way to securing a 3-2 victory. There have been other flashes of brilliance from Akhtyamov this season, but he is still working to find consistency and improve upon his 3.15 GAA and .893 SV% through 15 games.
  • Luke Haymes impressed in limited action with the Marlies after signing as an undrafted free agent last spring, but he hasn’t produced the way he or the organization would have liked so far this season. He busted out of an eight-game pointless drought in that Boxing Day matchup with the baby Sens, however, scoring a goal and adding an assist in the win. With just three goals and six helpers in 27 games, Haymes will be looking to build off that performance heading into January.
  • The Leafs let Roni Hirvonen return to Finland this past offseason, but they decided to retain his rights by extending him a qualifying offer, and though his chances of returning to the Leafs remain slim, his play this season has drawn attention. With three goals and three assists in his last four games, Hirvonen is up to 10 goals and 19 assists in 31 games with Kärpät in Liiga – good for second most on his team and 11th best league-wide. Set to turn 24 in January, his NHL prospects don’t look great, but he could still serve as a smaller secondary piece to help get a potential trade over the line with a team that would be willing to take a flier on a player with decent pedigree who has had his development disrupted by unfortunate injuries.
Statistics from EliteProspects.com and IIHF.com

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