Welcome to the first edition of the Junior Hockey Giants Alumni Notebook, tracking how major junior graduates are adapting, reaching milestones, and carving out roles across the hockey world.
Here’s who made headlines over the weekend:
Ryan Suzuki Finding His Stride in Belleville
Ryan Suzuki entered the junior ranks carrying significant expectations after being selected first overall by the Barrie Colts in the 2017 OHL Priority Selection. His older brother, Nick Suzuki, had already made waves across the league with the Owen Sound Attack before capturing an OHL Championship with The Attack in 2011 and again with the Guelph Storm in 2014. While Ryan established himself as a cerebral, two-way playmaker over three junior seasons, offensive durability questions followed him into the pro ranks after being selected 28th overall by Carolina in 2019.
Now signed to a one-year, two-way contract with the Ottawa Senators, the 25-year-old center experienced a career milestone in late September. Facing his brother—now captain of the Montreal Canadiens—at the Bell Centre with their parents in attendance, Ryan lined up across from Nick and took the opening faceoff.
Assigned to the Belleville Senators to open the campaign, Suzuki has quickly made an impact, scoring his first goal of the season on Saturday night against the Toronto Marlies. For Suzuki, maintaining health and attacking the pro game directly remain the primary objectives:
“There haven’t been a lot of seasons when I’ve been completely healthy... You can’t shy away from the physicality, so I’m still going in there hard. You want to stay healthy and have a good year.”
Ben Danford Steps Onto Familiar Yardmen Ice
For Toronto Marlies rookie defenseman Ben Danford, Saturday night’s road matchup in Belleville was a full-circle homecoming. Born in nearby Madoc, Danford spent his minor hockey formative years playing inside Yardmen Arena with the Quinte Red Devils.
Selected 31st overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2024, Danford wrapped up an accomplished junior career split between the Oshawa Generals and Brantford Bulldogs, highlighted by a bronze medal with Team Canada at the 2026 World Junior Championship.
Early in his pro transition, the Marlies coaching staff paired Danford with 32-year-old veteran Dakota Mermis—himself an OHL alumnus with London and Oshawa who lifted the Memorial Cup in 2015. The pairing provides Danford with a steady mentor as he adjusts to pro pace, where he has recorded two assists through his opening stretch of games:
“You’re going to have off-nights, but being able to string a lot of games together is important... Just gotta be a steady 200-foot defenseman. Someone that they can rely on defensively.”
Morgan Frost Marks 400th NHL Game With a Goal
Since racking up back-to-back 100-point seasons with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, Morgan Frost’s professional path has evolved toward defensive detail and reliability. Selected 27th overall by Philadelphia in 2017, the 27-year-old center was acquired by the Calgary Flames in January 2025 and has steadily carved out an everyday role in their middle-six rotation.
On Sunday night, Frost reached a major career milestone, skating in his 400th career NHL regular-season game. He marked the occasion in style, finding the back of the net to give Calgary an offensive boost while continuing to anchor his line with solid two-way habits.
Rather than chasing pure offensive numbers the way he did in major junior, Frost’s approach is built around winning physical battles and earning the trust of his coaching staff:
“Earlier in my career, I probably worried too much about points. Now it’s about doing the little things right every shift—winning wall battles, being solid in our own end. If you take care of that, the offense takes care of itself.”
Photos by Aaron Bell