Blake Vanek: NHL draft sensation! Son of the star conquered the league!

Blake Vanek: NHL draft sensation! Son of the star conquered the league!

Baden bei Wien, Österreich - An exciting moment for the ice hockey world: Blake Vanek, the son of the former NHL star Thomas Vanek, was selected in the NHL Draft in 2025 in 93. This reports nhl.com . Blake brings his father's talent and has drawn attention to himself in the last seasons in different leagues. He was born in Stillwater, Minnesota, and does not yet have a Austrian passport that qualifies him as a American.

The young wing striker presented itself strongly in the 2025/26 season. In 29 games at the Stillwater High, he scored impressive 22 goals and 31 assists, a total of 53 points. He was also able to score 4 goals and 1 assist in 9 games at the Chicago Steel in the USHL. For the United States (NTDP) young programs, however, things did not go so round, where he only came to 1 point in 6 games.

a colorful ice hockey background

The ice hockey genes have not been put in the cradle, but are part of the family tradition. His father Thomas, born on January 19, 1984 in Vienna, is a well -known name in the NHL, where he was active for 14 years. With 373 goals and 416 assists in 1029 games, he made it to impressive 789 career points. Despite his success, he was not able to win Stanley Cup and was not voted in the Hockey Hall of Fame. His last minutes of play are in 2019.

While Thomas Vanek played for various teams such as the Buffalo Sabres and the Montreal Canadiens, Blake is on a completely different way, but the pressure and expectations are certainly high. The Senators see him a promising new addition that could strengthen the team's offensive. Like his father, the young Vanek is considered a right -wing player with a powerful shot, which increases his chances of success in the NHL.

A look into the future

With the selection of Blake Vanek, the Ottawa Senators show that they rely on promising talents. The franchise is very interested in developing young players in order to remain competitive in the league in the future. In recent years, the NHL has changed through the implementation of draft lotteries, which significantly influences the selection strategies of the teams. In particular, teams that do not get into the playoffs are easier to make good picks here, since they have higher chances in the lottery, such as Tankathon explained.

Blake Vanek's path in the NHL will certainly be exciting to follow. With a father who was a very successful player himself, he will be well prepared to find his own place in the ice hockey world and maybe one day make the family name even better known.