Blackhawks prospect Marek Vanacker added to Canada’s World Junior training camp roster

Chicago Blackhawks forward prospect Marek Vanacker has been added to Canada’s training camp roster for the upcoming 2026 World Junior Championships in Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota.

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ROSTER UPDATE | Marek Vanacker has been added to 🇨🇦's National Junior Team training camp. MISE À JOUR | Marek Vanacker a été ajouté à la liste des invités au camp d’entraînement de l’équipe nationale junior du 🇨🇦. #WorldJuniors | #MondialJunior

6:19 PM · Dec 12, 2025

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Vanacker was selected 27th overall by Chicago in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.

Should Vanacker make Canada’s final 24-man roster that will head to Minnesota, it will be his first time representing his country at the World Juniors. At 19 years of age, this is the London, Ontario native’s last year of eligibility to play in the tournament.

Vanacker did play for Canada at the 2024 Under-18 World Championships, where he registered a goal in six games en route to a gold medal.

The winger has impressed this season with the OHL’s Brantford Bulldogs, where he’s tallied 26 goals and 15 assists for 41 points in just 26 games played. Last year, he scored 24 goals and added 18 assists for 42 points in a shortened 45 games, as he missed the early portion of the season while recovering from surgery for a torn labrum that he played through the season prior.

It was the 2023-24 season, the one in which he played through injury, that was his breakout. That year, he put up 36 goals and 46 assists for 82 points in all 68 regular season games.

Vanacker will be the only Blackhawks prospect in attendance at Canada’s training camp. Fellow Chicago prospects Anton Frondell (Sweden), Vaclav Nestrasil (Czechia), and AJ Spellacy (United States) are expected to play roles for their respective countries in Minnesota.

If Vanacker makes Canada’s final roster, he’ll be hoping to help his country avoid a third consecutive year in which they’ve failed to medal at the World Juniors. Canada hasn’t gone three straight years without medalling at the tournament since a stretch from 1979 through 1981.

The 2026 World Juniors are set to being on December 26th.