Blake Vanek has been traded to the Calgary Hitmen.
The Wenatchee Wild and Calgary Hitmen have completed a trade. Wenatchee has dealt forward Blake Vanek to the Hitmen for the rights to forward Carter Ernst and a sixth-round pick in the 2029 draft. Blake is the son of Thomas Vanek, who played in over 1,000 NHL games.
Vanek is currently in his rookie WHL season. The 18-year-old has scored eight goals and recorded 18 points in 37 games. Vanek is an Ottawa Senators prospect, as he was drafted 93rd overall in 2025.
As for Ernst, he is a 17-year-old currently playing in the USHL. This season, he has two goals and five points in 15 games for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. Ernst has also played part of the season in the Minnesota High School league, where he has 19 points in 11 games.
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