Ben Danford was a surprise first-round pick for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2024 NHL Draft, but now he's been handed a major honour by his junior team. The Toronto Maple Leafs have the chance to make a genuine push for the Stanley Cup in 2024/25, and whether they achieve it or not, the fans are quite optimistic about the future, with many talented names coming through the organization. Not only do those prospects have talent, but it's clear that Toronto have targeted high character individuals, which has become obvious after Ben Danford, their 2024 first-round draft pick was named captain of the OHL's Oshawa Generals. <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/Oshawa_Generals/status/1841556643718332790'> </a></blockquote></div> This is a huge honour to be bestowed upon the talented 18-year old, who was recently cut from Maple Leafs training camp despite reportedly impressing everyone on the coaching staff. <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/Leafslatest/status/1841563613879812347'> </a></blockquote></div> In two full seasons with the Generals, Danford has tallied five goals and 54 points, but it's his defensive prowess and his leadership on and off the ice, combined with his impressive size at 6-foot-1 that make him the perfect player for this role moving forward. Danford will turn 19-years of age before the summer of 2025, and if he continues to grow physically and mentally, he will become a genuine piece of the future for Toronto, with the team desperately needing a puck-moving, defensive minded player on the back end. However, in the present, Danford will be focused on leading this talented Generals team through an exciting OHL campaign, and if the team can find success, he'll certainly establish himself as a leader of the future for Toronto.