Toronto Maple Leafs former 1st round pick Ben Danford will leave the IIHF World Junior Championship with some hardware, as Canada captured the bronze medal to close out the tournament. Team Canada was able to end their medal-less streak, beating Team Finland 6-3.
Danford met expectations
After losing to Team Czechia Sunday night in a back-and-forth contest 6-4, Team Canada came back against the Fins. Danford had a tournament that everyone expected. The Maple Leafs’ 2024 first-round pick finished the tournament with one assist in seven games, but his value was never tied to point production. Team Canada valued Danford was used exactly as expected: in a defensive role, playing tough minutes, contributing on the penalty kill, and helping protect leads late in games.