Vanacker heats up in sophomore OHL season
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Brantford Bulldogs’ Marek Vanacker lit up the scoreboard Sunday with two goals and two assists in Kingston, but the Frontenacs won the OHL game 6-5 in overtime.
The Bulldogs are now 5-1-3 in their last nine going back to Nov. 26.
“Our team started slow but now we’re rolling pretty good,” said Vanacker, who had an assist in Friday’s 5-2 home win against Barrie. “I think it’s just everyone putting their right foot forward and just playing the right game.”
The Bulldogs’ power play, ranked 19th in the OHL before Friday’s game at 12.8 per cent, improved with goals from Nick Lardis and Lucas Moore, going 2-6 against the Colts. They were 1-1 in a recent overtime win against Kitchener, but they hit a wall Sunday going 0-6 in Kingston.
“It was a little slow on the power play (early in the season), but we’re slowly working away at it and it’s coming together, so it’s helping us,” Vanacker said on Friday.
Positioning himself in the crease area on first or second power-play lines, the Langton-area left winger can be found looking for net-front tips and rebounds.
“That’s my area,” he smiled. “Wherever they put me, I’ll play, but it shuffles around a little bit. Here and there – I’m out front, or bumper, or wherever. It just depends how the team is rolling, and it rotates a little bit, but right now I’m on Power Play 2, which is all right. It works out.”
Third in team scoring after Sunday’s game, Vanacker has 29 points in 31 games.
“I don’t really look at that too much, not a whole lot. I just kind of play my game.”
Now in his second OHL season, the 17-year-old is one of seven Bulldogs eligible for the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. Listed as 6’1”, he was one of 60 CHL and international skaters given a B rating by NHL Central Scouting in October, which indicates possible second or third round candidates. Mid-season rankings typically come out in mid-January.
“It’s a little early, I don’t worry about it a whole lot, but it’s coming. It’s always in my mind. So I think about it, I play towards it – that’s my goal at the end of the day – but it’s just ‘play hockey.’”
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