Marek Vanacker (born April 12, 2006) is a Canadian ice hockey left winger who plays for the Brantford Bulldogs in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and is a prospect within the Chicago Blackhawks organization of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected 27th overall by the Blackhawks in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.
On April 20, 2022, Vanacker was selected 23rd overall by the Hamilton Bulldogs in the 2022 OHL Draft[1] and signed with the team on May 21, 2022.[2] In his rookie 2022–23 season, he tallied four goals and 12 assists over 55 games with the Brantford Bulldogs. The following year, 2023–24, he enjoyed a breakout season, posting 36 goals, 46 assists, 22 power‑play points, and five shorthanded goals in 68 regular‑season games. He finished as the team's leader in both goals and total points and ranked second in assists. In the playoffs, he added three goals and four assists across six games.[3]
On June 28, 2024, Vanacker's strong junior performance and offensive upside led to him being selected 27th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.[4][5] After several weeks of evaluation and negotiations, the Blackhawks officially signed him on August 5, 2024, to a standard three‑year entry‑level contract.[6]
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
Representing  Canada
| ||
| Men's ice hockey | ||
| World U18 Championships | ||
 |
2024 Finland | |
On April 16, 2024, Vanacker earned the honour of being selected to join Canada's under-18 national team for the prestigious 2024 IIHF World U18 Championships.[7] Throughout the tournament, he contributed one goal in six games, demonstrating his skill and versatility as a forward. More importantly, Vanacker's consistent play helped Canada navigate through tough competition, culminating in the team winning the gold medal.[8]
| 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 | ||
| 2024–25 | Brantford Bulldogs | OHL | 45 | 24 | 18 | 42 | 36 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 8 | ||
| OHL totals | 168 | 64 | 76 | 140 | 111 | 23 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 10 | ||||
| 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 | ||||
