Brantford Bulldogs forward spoke to the media at the NHL Draft Combine in Buffalo revealing some shocking details.

Marek Vanacker was amongst 22 other OHL players who attended the NHL Draft Combine held at LECOM Harborcenter in downtown Buffalo. However, he revealed some shocking details as he didn’t partake in the fitness tests, and rolled up to speak to the media with his left arm in a sling.

So what happened? The Brantford Bulldogs winger revealed that he suffered a shoulder injury back in November in a game against London, but didn’t think it was a break and much of it. And he didn’t miss a single game this season, showcasing that work ethic he's developed from assisting his uncle on his watermelon farm. 

“I don’t think it affected me a whole lot. I just kind of played through it and didn’t know what it was at the time anyways. I just tried to remove it from my mind,” said Vanacker.

After Brantford was eliminated in the first round of the OHL playoffs, Vanacker went to play at the IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship for Canada where he won gold. Once his season finally concluded, it was identified that he had torn his labrum and would need surgery to repair it.

He had successful surgery five days ago and the timeline for his return is 4-6 months. So he may not be back playing until as late as this December.

Vanacker scored four goals and 16 points in his rookie season playing limited minutes deep on the Hamilton Bulldogs roster. The Bulldogs franchise relocated slightly west to Brantford for the 2023-24 season, which was a homecoming for the Delhi, Ontario native, who played his minor hockey career for the Brantford 99ers.

The hometown kid said the transition from Hamilton to Brantford was very seamless, and that translated in his play on the ice. He led the Bulldogs in goals (36) and points (82). Additionally, he recorded the third-most points by a first-time OHL draft-eligible player.

His production and how he drove the offense for Brantford this year is even more impressive when you consider he played the majority of the season with that injury, which was more significant than he initially realized. It’s a testament to his competitive fire and will to push through barriers that get in his way of success.

Vanacker moved up from 25th (midterm rank) to 17th on NHL Central Scouting's North American Skaters list. He’s projected as a second-round draft pick, but as high as a late first-rounder by Sportsnet’s Sam Cosentino and Jason Bukala's last draft rankings, which came in mid-April and March for the latter. 

He seemed to be in good spirits when speaking with the media and explained how it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to be able to interview with NHL teams and learn more about their organization and what their thoughts on his game are.

Vanacker said he didn’t get the ‘What type of animal would you describe yourself as?’ question in the interview process with teams, but he gave a more unique answer.

“If I had to pick an animal, it would have been a dolphin. I’m a really smart player and dolphins are smart animals. They travel as a group, right? Well, I love my teammates and I’m a good teammate,” Vanacker explained his reasoning behind his animal choice.

Vanacker’s injury shouldn’t lower his draft position. If anything, it should raise it when you think about the incredible season he had while doing it with a torn labrum. Now, the question is if he will go on Day 1 or Day 2 of the NHL Draft in Las Vegas.

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