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Blackhawks prospect set to be a part of never-before-seen before OHL history

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Joshua Deeds
November 27, 2025 (7:01 PM)

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This Chicago Blackhawks prospect is set to be a part of never-before-seen history in the OHL.

Marek Vanacker was drafted 27th overall in the 1st round of the 2024 NHL Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks.

However, unbeknownst to the team that he's a part of this year in the OHL, he and other NHL prospects are about to make OHL history.

According to John Wright, the Brantford Bulldogs are set to blow all of our minds with their latest lineup, which includes Marek Vanacker. If you don't know him already, get to know Vanacker here in our latest column.

According to John Wright, "Since the OHL's inception in 1980, five players who were already drafted in the first round of the NHL Draft have never played on the same team. The (Brantford) Bulldogs will change that when Ben Danford, Adam Jiricek, Jake O'Brien, Jett Luchanko, and Marek Vanacker take the ice together."

Jake O'Brien was selected 8th overall by the Seattle Kraken, Jett Luchanko was selected 13th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers, Ben Danford was chosen 31st overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Adam Jiricek was chosen 16th by the St. Louis Blues.

The Bulldogs will be icing a lineup in the OHL that has 5 1st-round picks wearing the same junior hockey team's uniform.

Check the list.

Vanacker played 45 games for the Brantford Bulldogs and scored 24 goals and 42 points as a hard-nosed forward in the OHL.

With Jett Luchanko joining him and Jake O'Brien, the team should be setting the league on fire with the kind of talent they're stacking there.

The Bulldogs traded for Luchanko from the Guelph Storm in order to bolster the lineup and maintain a dominant stance in the league.

Forward Marek Vanacker, A Chicago Blackhawks Prospect Selected in the 1st-round is proving to be a steal

The Chicago Blackhawks acquired forward Marek Vanacker as a result of the team trading up in 2024.

Kyle Davidson traded both the 34th and 50th selections to the Carolina Hurricanes so he could select him 27th overall.

The Blackhawks don't have an exact date for Vanacker to turn pro, but his production in the OHL has been great this season, scoring 32 points (21-11) in 21 OHL games with the Bulldogs.

The last forward to come from the OHL and light it up in the AHL was forward Nick Lardis, who was a hidden gem who scored 50 goals. Is Vanacker going to be the next gem?

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POLL
NOVEMBRE 27 \| 133 ANSWERS Blackhawks prospect set to be a part of never-before-seen before OHL history Do you believe that forward Marek Vanacker, a Chicago Blackhawks prospect, is destined to be on the same line as center Connor Bedard?
Yes	74	55.6 %
No	59	44.4 %
List of polls

Blackhawks prospect set to be a part of never-before-seen before OHL history

This Chicago Blackhawks prospect is set to be a part of never-before-seen history in the OHL.

Forward Marek Vanacker, A Chicago Blackhawks Prospect Selected in the 1st-round is proving to be a steal

Do you believe that forward Marek Vanacker, a Chicago Blackhawks prospect, is destined to be on the same line as center Connor Bedard?