Thomas Vanek

Infobox Ice Hockey Player
team = Buffalo Sabres
league = NHL
position = Left Wing
shoots = Right
height_ft = 6
height_in = 2
weight_lb = 208
nationality = AUT
nickname =
birth_date = birth date and age|1984|1|19
birth_place = Baden bei Wien, Austria
draft = 5th overall
draft_year = 2003
draft_team = Buffalo Sabres
career_start = 2004

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image_size = 250px

Thomas Vanek (born January 19, 1984 in Baden bei Wien, Austria) is an Austrian ice hockey player. He was born to Slovak mother Jarmila and Czech father Zdeněk, [http://www.thomasvanek.at/index.php?id=35 GettingToKnow: #26 Thomas VANEK ] ] who moved in 1982 from Czechoslovakia to Austria. Vanek was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres 5th overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, making him the highest draft pick in Austrian history. Vanek plays for the Buffalo Sabres.

Playing career

Pre-NHL years

He grew up in Zell am See (Salzburg) and in Graz (Styria), where his father played professional ice hockey. He emigrated in 1998, at age 14, to the United States. While playing for the Sioux Falls Stampede Thomas attended O'Gorman High School in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. After playing junior hockey for the Sioux Falls Stampede of the USHL, Vanek became a standout player for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers, leading the team in goals (31), assists (31) and points (62) in the 2002–03 season. In part to his prolific scoring touch, the Golden Gophers won the 2003 NCAA National Championship. Vanek was named MVP of the Frozen Four tournament, scoring the game winning goals in both the semifinal against Michigan in overtime and in the final against New Hampshire. He was also named Minnesota’s team MVP for 2003, becoming the first freshman to receive the honor. He scored the most points by a Golden Gopher freshman in 2003 since Aaron Broten who scored 72 total points in 1979–80. He was the first freshman to lead the team in scoring since Mike Antonovich in 1969–70. His 31 goals also led the nation in goal scoring. He was also the 2003 WCHA Rookie of the Year, the third Golden Gopher to win the award.

Vanek was a member of the Austrian national ice hockey team in the 2004 IIHF World Championships, where he collected seven points in six games (2 goals and 5 assists). Vanek led the Golden Gophers in goals (26) and points (51) for the second-straight season and finished fifth in points among Division I leaders with 51. Vanek was the Twin Cities Best College Athlete for 2004.

Vanek spent 2004–05 with the Sabres' AHL affiliate Rochester Americans, recording 68 points in 74 games and helped Rochester to the best record in the AHL. Vanek finished second on the team in points, 11 points behind Chris Taylor, but led the team in goals with 42 and in power play goals with 25. He finished second among rookies in points and led all rookies in goals scored, the latter of which was second in the league among all players.

abres years

Vanek signed a three-year deal with Buffalo on September 3, 2004 and began playing for the main Sabres roster in the 2005–06 NHL season. He had a quite promising rookie season with 25 goals and 48 points and started in 81 games for the Sabres. In the playoffs he did not play as often as he wanted, due to inconsistent performances. He played 10 games and scored 2 goals.

On December 9th 2006 in a game against Montreal he became just the second NHL player after Brian Rolston to score with a slap shot in the shootout.Fact|date=March 2007Vanek concluded the year scoring his 43rd goal of the season as the first Sabre to score 40 goals since Miroslav Satan in 1998–99. He led the NHL with a +47 plus/minus rating and winning the 2007 NHL Plus/Minus Award. In addition, Vanek led the league in goals scored at home with 30 and was chosen for the NHL Second All-Star Team.

On July 6, 2007, Vanek signed a seven-year $50 million offer sheet with the Edmonton Oilers as a restricted free agent. The Sabres chose not to accept the compensation (Edmonton's first round picks in the 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011 drafts), preferring rather to match the offer and retain Vanek. This front-loaded contract pays Vanek $10 million for the 07–08 season, making him the highest paid player in the league along with Scott Gomez and former Sabre Daniel Briere.

On February 12, 2008, Vanek scored his first career hat trick against the Ottawa Senators. Just eight days later, on February 20, Vanek scored his second career hat trick against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He scored his third career hat trick against the Tampa Bay Lightning on March 19, and his fourth against the Boston Bruins on April 5.

Personal

On August 16th, 2007, Vanek and Fiance Ashley Karner welcomed a baby boy named Blake Thomas Vanek in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area of Minnesota. The two wed July 12,2008 and had their honeymoon in Austria, their native country. [ [http://www.twincities.com/ci_6876852?source=rss The good life - TwinCities.com ] ]

Career statistics

References

External links

* [http://www.thomasvanek26.com Thomas Vanek - Official Site]
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* [http://sabres.nhl.com/team/app?page=PlayerDetail&playerId=8470598&service=page Thomas Vanek - Sabres.com]
* [http://www.thomasvanek.at/ Thomas Vanek - Official Site] (German)
* [http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=212929 TSN.ca story on offer from Edmonton, July 6, 2007]
* [http://www.thomasvanek.com Thomas Vanek Fan Site]