Thomas Vanek (born 19 January 1984) is an Austrian professional ice hockey left winger who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played for the Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, Minnesota Wild, Florida Panthers, Vancouver Canucks and Columbus Blue Jackets. Vanek was drafted by the Sabres fifth overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, making him the highest drafted Austrian in NHL history.\n', '

Vanek was born in Baden bei Wien, Austria, to Slovak mother Jarmila and Czech father Zdeněk, who emigrated from the communist Czechoslovakia to Austria in 1982.[citation needed] He grew up in Zell am See (Salzburg) and in Graz (Styria), where his father played professional ice hockey.[citation needed] \n', '

As a youth, he played in the 1997 and 1998 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments with a team from Austria. In 1998, at the age of 14, he moved to Canada.[citation needed]\n', '

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