MINNESOTA WILD AGREES TO TERMS WITH
LW THOMAS VANEK ON A THREE-YEAR CONTRACT
SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher today announced the National Hockey League (NHL) club has agreed to terms with left wing Thomas Vanek on a three-year contract.
“Thomas is an elite offensive talent who showed a strong desire to play in Minnesota,” said Fletcher. “We are excited to welcome him to our organization.”
Since entering the NHL in 2005-06, Vanek, 30 (1/19/84), ranks eighth amongst all NHL players in goals scored (277) and third in power-play goals (113). The 6-foot-2, 217-pound native of Vienna, Austria, has totaled 556 points (277-279=556) and a plus-41 rating in 663 regular-season games during nine NHL seasons, including 68 points (27-41=68) in 78 games with Buffalo, the New York Islanders and Montreal in 2013-14. He’s added 30 points (20-10=30) in 53 NHL playoff games.
Vanek totaled 113 points (57-56=113) in 83 games during two seasons with the University of Minnesota (2002-04), helping the Golden Gophers claim the 2003 NCAA title while being named NCAA Championship Tournament MVP. He was selected fifth overall by Buffalo in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, becoming the highest Austrian-born player ever drafted in the NHL, before garnering NHL Second All-Star Team honors in 2006-07 and being named an NHL All-Star in 2009. He spent the majority of his career with Buffalo (2005-14), ranking fourth in Sabres history in power-play goals scored (106) and game-winning goals (41), fifth in goals (254), 10th in points (497) and 15th in games played (598). He was acquired by the New York Islanders on Oct 27, 2013 before being traded to the Montreal Canadiens on March 5, 2014.
Minnesota Wild Season Tickets for the 2014-15 season including Full Season, Half Season and 11-Game plans are available now. More information on season tickets is available at tickets.wild.com, or by contacting a Wild Ticket Sales Representative at 651-222-WILD.