Delhi, Ont. hockey star Marek Vanacker signs 1st NHL contract with Chicago Blackhawks, team says

A teen hockey player fromNorfolk County is about to begin what the Chicago Blackhawks hope is a long and successfulNHL career.

Delhi'sMarek Vanacker, 18,was drafted 27th overall by the Chicago Blackhawksthis summer andsigned his first NHL contract, the Blackhawks announced Monday. [SMILAR]

The team said, on its website, thethree-year, entry-level contract that runs through the 2026-27 season carries an average annual value of$975,000.

Vanacker had a strong year in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Brantford Bulldogs scoring 36 goals and adding 46 assists in 68 games last season, leading the team in scoring.

The 6-foot-1,178-pound left-wingeralso won a gold medal playing for Team Canada at the2024 IIHF U18 World Championship, where he scoredone goal in six games.

According to the Canadian Hockey League, of which the OHL is part,Vanacker is the first ever Hamilton/Brantford Bulldog player selected in the first round of the NHLEntryDraft.

The Bulldogs have moved to Brantford while Hamilton's FirstOntario Centre undergoes renovations that will leave the team in Brantford at least until2025,withan option to extend that stay.

Vanacker's teammateFlorian Xhekaj, 20, signed a similar three-year entry-level deal with the Montreal Canadiens in April. Xhekajwas third in team scoring behind Vanacker and centre Patrick Thomas.

The arena, formerly known as Copps Coliseum, opened in 1985.The Hamilton Bulldogs won the 2006-07 AHL Calder Cup, and the OHL Bulldogs were league champions in 2017-18 and again in 2021-22.