Mike Danton was born October 21, 1980 in Brampton, Ontario. The fifth round, 135th overall selection of the New Jersey Devils in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, Danton who legally changed his name from Jefferson to Danton in the summer of 2002, is a graduate of the OHL.
A feisty winger, Danton played three seasons in the OHL with stops in Sarnia, Toronto St. Michael's and Barrie before making his professional debut in 2000-01. A member of the Barrie Colts team that reached the 2000 Memorial Cup final, only to lose in the final against the QMJHL's Rimouski Oceanic, Danton spent the majority of his first pro season with the Devils AHL affiliate in Albany, while seeing limited aciton with the parent club.
Following a strong rookie season with Albany, in which he registered 34 points (19-15-34), Danton missed the entire 2001-02 season after the Devils suspended him for refusing to report to Albany. In 2002-03, Danton returned to the Devils lineup and spent the early portion of the season with big club, before being suspended by the club yet again for failing to report to Albany.
In the summer of 2003 the Devils traded Danton to the St. Louis Blues. Upon his arrival with the Blues, Danton returned to his feisty ways on the ice, while chipping in 12 points (7-5-12) in 68 games.
After the Blues we're eliminated from the 2004 Stanley Cup playoffs by the San Jose Sharks, Danton, who had been known to be a troubled individual, was arrested by the FBI and charged with participating in an alleged murder-for-hire plot.
On November 8, 2004, Mike Danton was sentenced to 7 1/2 years in prison for hatching a plot to murder his mentor and agent, David Frost.
