Thomas Vanek

Date of Birth: Jan 19, 1984
Age: 42
Place of Birth: Baden bei Wien, AUT
Nation: Austria
Youth Team: EK Zell am See
Position: LW/RW
Height: 188 cm / 6'2"
Weight: 97 kg / 214 lbs
Shoots: R
Status: Retired

Thomas Vanek Facts

Drafted: 2003 round 1 #5 overall by Buffalo Sabres

Brother-in-law: Josef Vasicek
Father: Zdenek Vanek
Son: Blake Vanek

Vanek became the highest-drafted Austrian player in NHL history when he was taken 5th overall in 2003. The big winger played for 8 teams during his career: the Sabres, Islanders, Canadiens, Wild, Red Wings, Panthers, Canucks, and Blue Jackets. He was an 8x 25-goal scorer and retired in 2019 with 373 goals and 789 points.

Team Staff profile also available: Thomas Vanek

Thomas Vanek Statistics

									Post
1999-2000	Rochester Jr. Americans	NAHL	14	6	4	10	8	-
1999-2000	Sioux Falls Stampede	USHL	35	15	18	33	12	-	Playoffs	3	0	1	1	0	-
2000-2001	Sioux Falls Stampede	USHL	20	19	10	29	15	-	Playoffs	8	5	4	9	2	-
2001-2002	Sioux Falls Stampede "C"	USHL	53	46	45	91	54	-	Playoffs	3	0	0	0	9	-
2001-2002	Austria U20	WJC-20 D1	5	5	6	11	2	5
2002-2003	Univ. of Minnesota	NCAA	45	31	31	62	60	-
2002-2003	Austria U20	WJC-20 D1	5	9	4	13	10	5
2003-2004	Univ. of Minnesota	NCAA	38	26	25	51	72	-
2003-2004	Austria U20 "C"	WJC-20	6	3	1	4	37	-8
2003-2004	Austria	WC	6	2	5	7	0	2
2004-2005	Rochester Americans	AHL	74	42	26	68	62	-3	Playoffs	5	2	3	5	10	4
2004-2005	Austria Olympics	OGQ	3	1	0	1	0	-1
2005-2006	Buffalo Sabres	NHL	81	25	23	48	72	-11	Playoffs	10	2	0	2	6	-1
2006-2007	Buffalo Sabres	NHL	82	43	41	84	40	47	Playoffs	16	6	4	10	10	2
2007-2008	Buffalo Sabres	NHL	82	36	28	64	64	-5
2007-2008	Austria	WC D1	5	5	5	10	6	2
2007-2008	Austria (all)	International	5	5	5	10	6	-
2008-2009	Buffalo Sabres	NHL	73	40	24	64	44	-1
2008-2009	Austria	WC	6	1	3	4	2	-1
2008-2009	Austria (all)	International	6	1	3	4	2	-
2009-2010	Buffalo Sabres	NHL	71	28	25	53	42	9	Playoffs	3	2	1	3	2	1
2010-2011	Buffalo Sabres	NHL	80	32	41	73	24	2	Playoffs	7	5	0	5	0	-7
2011-2012	Buffalo Sabres "A"	NHL	78	26	35	61	52	-6
2012-2013	Graz99ers Lockout	EBEL	11	5	10	15	4	-3
2012-2013	Buffalo Sabres "A"	NHL	38	20	21	41	20	-1
2012-2013	Austria "A"	WC	7	4	2	6	2	-2
2012-2013	Austria (all)	International	7	4	2	6	2	-2
2013-2014	Buffalo Sabres "C"	NHL	13	4	5	9	4	-5
2013-2014	New York Islanders	NHL	47	17	27	44	34	4
2013-2014	Montréal Canadiens	NHL	18	6	9	15	8	8	Playoffs	17	5	5	10	4	-4
2013-2014	Austria Olympics "C"	OG	4	0	1	1	4	-4
2013-2014	Austria (all)	International	4	0	1	1	4	-4
2014-2015	Minnesota Wild	NHL	80	21	31	52	37	-6	Playoffs	10	0	4	4	2	-7
2015-2016	Minnesota Wild	NHL	74	18	23	41	22	-10
2016-2017	Detroit Red Wings	NHL	48	15	23	38	16	2
2016-2017	Florida Panthers	NHL	20	2	8	10	6	-7
2016-2017	Team Europe	WCup	6	0	1	1	2	-2
2017-2018	Vancouver Canucks	NHL	61	17	24	41	28	-12
2017-2018	Columbus Blue Jackets	NHL	19	7	8	15	8	9	Playoffs	6	1	1	2	2	-1
2018-2019	Detroit Red Wings	NHL	64	16	20	36	26	-12

Thomas Vanek Tournament Statistics

									Post
1996-1997	Austria Stars PW	QC Int PW	-	-	-	-	-	-
1997-1998	Austria Stars PW	QC Int PW	-	-	-	-	-	-

Thomas Vanek Career Totals by League


AHL	1	74	42	26	68	0.92	62	-3	1	5	2	3	5	1.00	10	4
EBEL (ICEHL)	1	11	5	10	15	1.36	4	-3	0
International	4	22	10	11	21	0.95	14	-6*	0
NAHL	1	14	6	4	10	0.71	8	-	0
NCAA	2	83	57	56	113	1.36	132	-	0
NHL	14	1029	373	416	789	0.77	547	5	7	69	21	15	36	0.52	26	-17
OG	1	4	0	1	1	0.25	4	-4	0
OGQ	1	3	1	0	1	0.33	0	-1	0
QC Int PW	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	0
USHL	3	108	80	73	153	1.42	81	-	3	14	5	5	10	0.71	11	-
WC	3	19	7	10	17	0.89	4	-1	0
WC D1	1	5	5	5	10	2.00	6	2	0
WCup	1	6	0	1	1	0.17	2	-2	0
WJC-20	1	6	3	1	4	0.67	37	-8	0
WJC-20 D1	2	10	14	10	24	2.40	12	10	0

* Some data is missing to provide a correct summary.

Thomas Vanek Career Totals by Team


Austria	4	24	12	15	27	1.13	10	1	0
Austria (all)	4	22	10	11	21	0.95	14	-6*	0
Austria Olympics	2	7	1	1	2	0.29	4	-5	0
Austria Stars PW	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	0
Austria U20	3	16	17	11	28	1.75	49	2	0
Buffalo Sabres	9	598	254	243	497	0.83	362	29	4	36	15	5	20	0.56	18	-5
Columbus Blue Jackets	1	19	7	8	15	0.79	8	9	1	6	1	1	2	0.33	2	-1
Detroit Red Wings	2	112	31	43	74	0.66	42	-10	0
Florida Panthers	1	20	2	8	10	0.50	6	-7	0
Graz99ers	1	11	5	10	15	1.36	4	-3	0
Minnesota Wild	2	154	39	54	93	0.60	59	-16	1	10	0	4	4	0.40	2	-7
Montréal Canadiens	1	18	6	9	15	0.83	8	8	1	17	5	5	10	0.59	4	-4
New York Islanders	1	47	17	27	44	0.94	34	4	0
Rochester Americans	1	74	42	26	68	0.92	62	-3	1	5	2	3	5	1.00	10	4
Rochester Jr. Americans (NAHL)	1	14	6	4	10	0.71	8	-	0
Sioux Falls Stampede	3	108	80	73	153	1.42	81	-	3	14	5	5	10	0.71	11	-
Team Europe (WCup)	1	6	0	1	1	0.17	2	-2	0
Univ. of Minnesota	2	83	57	56	113	1.36	132	-	0
Vancouver Canucks	1	61	17	24	41	0.67	28	-12	0

* Some data is missing to provide a correct summary.

Thomas Vanek Career Highlights

Season	Awards
2001-2002	U20 WJC (D1) Best Forward U20 WJC (D1) Silver Medal USHL First All-Star Team USHL Most Goals (46) USHL Most Points (91)
2002-2003	NCAA (Championship) Tournament MVP NCAA (Championship) Winner NCAA (WCHA) Champion NCAA (WCHA) Rookie of the Year U20 WJC (D1\|B) Gold Medal U20 WJC (D1\|B) Most Goals (9)
2003-2004	NCAA (WCHA) Champion NCAA (West) Second All-American Team World Championship Most Points by U20 Junior (7)
2004-2005	AHL All-Rookie Team AHL Player of the Week (Apr. 17) AHL Player of the Week (Nov. 28) AHL Rookie of the Month (April)
2006-2007	NHL Best Plus/Minus (+47) NHL Second All-Star Team NHL YoungStars Roster
2007-2008	World Championship (D1\|A) All-Star Team World Championship (D1\|A) Gold Medal World Championship (D1\|A) Most Goals (5)
2008-2009	NHL All-Star Game
2012-2013	World Championship Top 3 Player on Team
2016-2017	World Cup Runner Up
2025-2026	IIHF Hall of Fame

Transactions

Date	Status	From	To
07/01/2018	Confirmed	Columbus Blue Jackets	Detroit Red Wings
02/26/2018	Confirmed	Vancouver Canucks	Columbus Blue Jackets
09/01/2017	Confirmed	Florida Panthers	Vancouver Canucks
03/01/2017	Confirmed	Detroit Red Wings	Florida Panthers
07/01/2016	Confirmed	Minnesota Wild	Detroit Red Wings
06/24/2016	Confirmed	Minnesota Wild	Unknown
07/01/2014	Confirmed	Montréal Canadiens	Minnesota Wild
03/05/2014	Confirmed	New York Islanders	Montréal Canadiens
10/27/2013	Confirmed	Buffalo Sabres	New York Islanders
10/01/2012	Confirmed	Buffalo Sabres	Graz99ers

Thomas Vanek Biography and Trivia

Drafted 2001, 1 #25 by Brandon Wheat Kings in the CHL Import Draft
Cult/Star player for Austria
Cult/Star player for Buffalo Sabres
Cult/Star player for Sioux Falls Stampede

Career transactions
- 2014-03-05 • Traded to the Montréal Canadiens for Sebastian Collberg and a conditional 2nd-round draft pick.
- 2013-10-27 • Traded to the New York Islanders for Matt Moulson and a 2014 1st and 2015 2nd-round NHL draft pick.

Memorable dates and notes
- 2004-04-15 • Debut for Team Austria (1:2 vs. Germany in Ravensburg, GER)
- 2003-04-12 • Scored the GWG against New Hampshire in the National-Championship-Game at the NCAA-FrozenFour.
- He has Czech and Slovak parents. His father Zdeněk Vaněk (born in Hradec Králové) was a proffesional ice-hockey player as well. His mother Jarmila Vaňková is Slovak. They moved from Czechoslovakia two years before Thomas was born.