Very rarely does someone enter the NHL with the path of success Thomas Vanek left behind when he joined the Buffalo Sabres for the 2005-06 season.
Vanek enjoyed two absurdly successful seasons playing college hockey for the Minnesota Golden Gophers, including scoring the game-winning goals in both the semifinal and final of the NCAA tournament, to clinch the National Title.
He would end up leaving school early, a top 10, first round draft pick, as one of the most decorated Gophers in school history.
That success still continued when Vanek joined Buffalo’s minor league club in Rochester and finished second on the team in scoring and first among AHL rookies with 42 goals and 68 points.
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Article written by Eric Murtaugh