The OHL’s Brantford Bulldogs have acquired Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Ben Danford and defenceman Zackary Sandhu from the Oshawa Generals on Thursday in a blockbuster trade.
The Bulldogs send forward Aiden O’Donnell, defencemen Lucas Moore and Luca Diplacido and nine OHL draft picks to Oshawa in the deal. It includes three second-round picks (2026-28), three third-round picks (2028, two in 2029), two fourth-round selections (2026, 2029) and one 10th-round pick (2027).
“We’re extremely excited to acquire Ben Danford and Zach Sandhu,” said Bulldogs general manager Spencer Hyman in a statement. “We’ve seen both players a ton over the past two seasons — through countless battles and a full playoff series — and we know firsthand the impact they can have. Both Ben and Zach have been to back-to-back OHL Finals, and they bring with them a championship mindset and an understanding of what it takes to win.
“Ben is a leader and one of the premier defencemen in the entire CHL. Zach is a hard-nosed, intelligent defender who plays with poise and intensity. These are two players we targeted immediately, and their addition gives our blue line the ability to play bigger, heavier, and adapt to any style required to win hockey games. We’re absolutely thrilled to welcome both Ben and Zach to the Bulldogs organization.”
Danford, a 19-year-old defenceman, was drafted 31st overall by the Maple Leafs in 2024. He had a goal and three assists in eight appearances with the Generals this season.
He was drafted by Oshawa with the No. 14 pick in the 2022 OHL Draft.
Sandhu, 19, had five assists in 11 games with Oshawa this season.
