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Player Profile: Justin Danforth |
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Justin Danforth is an undrafted forward from Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. The Ontario native played with his local club for four years, including earning the alternative captain plate his final season. Undersized, he used his speed and scoring to get the points for his Cobourg Cougars. He had 141 points in 134 games (57 goals, 84 assists), good for a 1.05 points per game, along with 110 penalty minutes.
Danforth took an unusual route for a Canadian player next, by attending a private catholic university in the states: Sacred Heart University. The NCAA product, similarly to his Coburg years, stuck with college and the team for all four years, and was once again the alternate captain his final year. Unlike his youth hockey, he was under a point per game, but still had a strong showing of 124 points in 147 collegiate games (42 goals, 82 asssits) for a 0.84 points per game and 125 penalty minutes.
Finishing up his senior year, he began his professional hockey career with joining the 3 different minor league teams on top of his last season with SHU. His first stop was with with Reading Royals of the ECHL, the third string affiliate for the Philadelphia Flyers. In three games with the Royals, he had a goal and two assists. Next, a game day event with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the American Hockey League (AHL), the affiliate of the New York Islanders. In one game, he was pointless. Finally, he wrapped up his 2016-17 season with the Buffalo Sabres’ AHL partner: theRochester Americans. In 5 games, he had 2 goals.
His 2017-18 season saw him split time between the AHL and ECHL, in two different cities. His time in the AHL was with the Amerks where he had 2 goals and 3 assists for 5 points in 13 games. The other games were in Ohio with the ECHL Cincinnati Cyclones, who were in the first year of their partnership with Buffalo, after ending their previous tenure with the Nashville Predators. Danforth’s time in the coast got him the rookie of the year, earning 59 points over his 44 games (28 goals, 31 assists).
After time with the Buffalo kids and farm system, he continued to improve his craft with a trip around the world. His time away from North American hockey would last 3 seasons: 2 in LIGA and 1 in the KHL. With Lukko of LIGA, the import had 112 points in 115 games (45 goals, 67 assists), and had the “A” his second and final season in the Finnish hockey league. On the Vityaz Podolsk of the KHL, he had 55 points in 58 games (23 goals, 32 assists). He also has one assist in 4 games in the Spengler Cup.
Danforth signed his first NHL contract on May 3, 2021 with the Columbus Blue Jackets at the young age of 28. The Oshawa native had 10 goals and 4 assists for 14 points in 45 games with his first NHL club. Danforth also had 5 points in 8 games with the Cleveland Monsters. Danforth signed a 2-year contract extension worth $975K per season on March 8, 2022.
The undersized rookie was the Jackets nominee for the Bill Masterson Trophy, as one of the 32 nominees for the prize. The Masterton Trophy is for perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey, per the NHL website.
Danforth joins 4 other former Blue Jackets are nominees for the Trophy this year, including forward Anthony Duclair (FLA); defensemen Kris Russell (EDM) and Jack Johnson (COL); and goaltender Anton Forsberg (OTT).
The final 3 finalists for the Trophy will be announced by the league on Monday, May 16, 2022.
Note: Stats were collected by Elite Prospects; Contract was sourced by CapFriendly; Nominees were announced by the NHL.
Columbus Blue Jackets Blogger • 
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