Marek Vanacker (born April 12, 2006) is a Canadian ice hockey left wing for the Brantford Bulldogs of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) as a prospect to the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted 27th overall by the Blackhawks in the 2024 NHL entry draft.
| Marek Vanacker | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
April 12, 2006 Delhi, Ontario, Canada | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 174 lb (79 kg; 12 st 6 lb) | ||
| Position | Left wing | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| NHL team (P) Cur. team |
Chicago Blackhawks Brantford Bulldogs (OHL) | ||
| NHL draft |
27th overall, 2024 Chicago Blackhawks | ||
Playing career
editOn April 20, 2022, Vanacker was drafted 23rd overall by the Hamilton Bulldogs in the 2022 OHL Draft.[1] On May 21, 2022, he signed with the Bulldogs.[2] During the 2022–23 season, he recorded four goals and 12 assists in 55 games for the Brantford Bulldogs. During the 2023–24 season, he recorded 36 goals, 46 assists, 22 power-play points and five short-handed goals in 68 regular season games for the Bulldogs. He led the team in goals and points, and ranked second in assists. During the playoffs he recorded three goals and four assists in six games.[3]
On June 28, 2024, Vanacker was drafted 27th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2024 NHL entry draft.[4][5] He was signed to a three-year, entry-level contract with the Chicago Blackhawks on August 5, 2024.[6]
International play
edit| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
Representing  Canada
| ||
| Men's ice hockey | ||
| World U18 Championships | ||
 |
2024 Finland | |
On April 16, 2024, Vanacker was named to Canada's under-18 team for the 2024 IIHF World U18 Championships.[7] During the tournament he recorded one goal in six games and won a gold medal.[8]
Career statistics
editRegular season and playoffs
edit| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2021–22 | Brantford 99ers | OJHL | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | Hamilton Bulldogs | OHL | 55 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2023–24 | Brantford Bulldogs | OHL | 68 | 36 | 46 | 82 | 55 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 2 | ||
| OHL totals | 123 | 40 | 58 | 98 | 75 | 12 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 2 | ||||
International
edit| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Canada Black | U17 | 4th | 7 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | |
| 2024 | Canada | U18 | 
|
6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| Junior totals | 13 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | ||||
References
edit- ^ Henry, Jordan (May 10, 2022). "##OHLDraft Introductions: 23rd Overall Pick Marek Vanacker (Hamilton Bulldogs)". chl.ca. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
- ^ "Hamilton Bulldogs Sign Marek Vanacker". chl.ca. May 21, 2022. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
- ^ Baum, Carter (June 28, 2024). "DRAFT: What the Experts Say About Marek Vanacker". NHL.com. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
- ^ "RELEASE: Blackhawks Select Levshunov, Boisvert and Vanacker in First Round". NHL.com. June 28, 2024. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
- ^ Pope, Ben (June 28, 2024). "Blackhawks add to draft haul, taking forwards Sacha Boisvert and Marek Vanacker with 18th and 27th picks". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
- ^ "Blackhawks sign Marek Vanacker to entry-level deal". Chicago Blackhawks. August 5, 2024. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
- ^ "Marek Vanacker Named to Team Canada for U18 World Championship". chl.ca. April 16, 2024. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
- ^ Aykroyd, Lucas (May 4, 2024). "McKenna sparks Canada to gold". IIHF.com. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
External links
edit- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or The Internet Hockey Database
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