It was all in the initial reaction.
Blake Vanek’s motivation and excitement level could be seen through his big smile reverberating through the screen in his first zoom media availability after being drafted.
“Totally pumped to be an Ottawa Senator,” he said from Madison, Wisconsin via Zoom back in late June. “It’s a dream come true to be drafted in the NHL.”
Vanek also got to describing himself as a player.
“I’m a bigger frame guy; I try to become a power forward as much as I can and try to use my shot as much as I can as well.”
That shot first, and power forward style mentality is something that embodies Vanek’s thinking and his plans for development in his first season after being drafted this summer.
“I try to be as much of a power forward as I can,” Vanek said in an interview at Senators development camp in July. “Whatever they give me here to morph my game into that. Almost just mastering that and working on it each year.”
“I think as you keep going up the ranks from high school to junior to pros, it keeps getting more physical. So just adding that physicality to my game will help out.”
Vanek, who is from Minnesota, and son of longtime NHL forward Thomas Vanek, played last season in the state championship with his school team at Stillwater High School.
At school, he registered 22 goals and 31 assists en route to playing in the National Championship. After that season came to an end, he also appeared in nine games with the Chicago Steel of the USHL and picked up four goals with Chicago.
His dad’s NHL experience has also helped craft his style of play through school.
“I’d say there’s definitely parts of my game that come from him,” he said. “Growing up and him being able to coach me, I’ve definitely picked up a couple of things from him. But I think there’s definitely parts of our game that’s different. I don’t think he was as tall as I was, weighed as much.”
“Just growing up and being able to watch him and how he takes care of himself throughout each season. Being able to see that firsthand is (very) helpful as you grow up or for me now being able to take what I saw.”
Vanek also feels there are areas of his game that are stronger than his dads.
“I want to say my shots better than him, but (that) might be a little cocky,” he laughed.
Going to the USHL after the high school season concluded was also beneficial heading into the 2025-26 season.
“I got a taste of what junior hockey is like,” Vanek said. “I thought I did a pretty (good) job when I got down there and with my ice time.”
Now, using that experience in gearing up for junior, and continuing to build on his game, Vanek has begun his first season with the Wenatchee Wild in the WHL.
While not the ideal start for the team so far sitting at 2-7-1-1 through the first month of the season, Vanek has collected three assists through the team's first 11 games, picking up his first WHL points on October 3rd, a two-point night in the team's 5-4 overtime loss to the Victoria Royals. His performance got him the second star of the contest.
Vanek also put up a strong showing in the prospect's showdown wearing the Sens uniform for the first time. Playing consistent minutes, creating in the offensive zone, and gaining praise from members of the organization and coaching staff.
He joined Lucas Beckman as one of only two players from the 2025 Sens draft class to appear in the two-game showdown at the Bell Centre.
Now with his season well underway with Wenatchee, Vanek will look to continue crafting his power forward and physical style as the season goes along.
