Trio of Bulldogs Re-Assigned to AHL
April 23, 2025 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Brantford Bulldogs News Release
Following the conclusion of the Brantford Bulldogs season a trio of NHL signed Bulldogs have been re-assigned to the American Hockey League. Bulldogs captain and all-time leading scorer Patrick Thomas will head to the Hershey Bears following the completion of his OHL career, Tomas Hamara will conclude the 2024-25 season where it started with the Belleville Senators while 2024 Chicago Blackhawks 1st Round Pick Marek Vanacker will report to the Rockford IceHogs.
Patrick Thomas concluded his OHL career in the 2024-25 season with one of the most storied careers in Bulldogs franchise history. Arriving as a 3rd round pick, 57th overall, in 2020 from the Hamilton Huskies U16 AAA, where he was a dominant force, Thomas earned his way to an OHL career. Winning an OHL Championship playing alongside Mason McTavish & Ryan Winterton was just the beginning for the Oakville product. Beginning his sophomore season alongside Logan Morrison & Avery Hayes, changes by the trade deadline created what became a legendary partnership in Bulldogs history when Nick Lardis was acquired. Over the following two and a half seasons Thomas was looked at as one of the best 200ft forwards in the OHL. As good off the puck as with it, Thomas went on to be selected by the Washington Capitals in the 4th round, 104th overall in 2023 and become the 8th captain in Bulldogs history. In the 2024-25 season, Thomas became the Bulldogs all-time scoring leader with 253 career points while setting a single season record for assists with 77 and becoming the 4th Bulldog player to cross 100-points in a single season. Thomas will join one of the most storied AHL franchises with the Hershey Bears having won 13 Calder Cups.
Tomas Hamara came to the Brantford Bulldogs in trade from the Kitchener Rangers on November 11th, 2023 and quickly became a fan favourite. Already an incredible resume coming to Brantford with a Liiga Championship in Finland, a World Junior Silver medal for Czechia and a 3rd round, 87th overall, selection by the Ottawa Senators in the 2022 NHL Draft, Hamara skated in 84 games with the Bulldogs in his season and a half with the Bulldogs recording 72 points while skating to a plus-36 rating over that time. A leader on and off the ice for the Bulldogs, Hamara continued his success internationally in Black & Gold winning a World Junior Bronze medal in 2024 and will now be reunited with Belleville Senators Assistant Coach Andrew Campbell who served the same role with the Bulldogs when Hamara was acquired.
Marek Vanacker gets his first taste of pro hockey after being Chicago's 1st round pick, 27th overall in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, the first 1st round NHL pick in Bulldogs history, as he is re-assigned to the Rockford IceHogs. Vanacker has been incredibly impressive after being a the Bulldogs 1st round pick, 23rd overall in the 2022 OHL Priority Selection Draft. Posting 36 goals & 46 assists for 82 points in 68 games in the 2023-24 season, Vanacker played the majority of the season with a shoulder injury that required off-season surgery and still posted 7 points in 6 playoff games before winning a Gold Medal for Team Canada at U18's. Returning to the Bulldogs lineup after missing the first 23 games of the 2024-25 season in recovery, Vanacker picked up where he left off, re-forming his dynamic pairing with Jake O'Brien to post 24 goals & 18 assists for 42 points in 45 games with another 11 points in 11 playoff games to help the Bulldogs to their first series win since 2022. Vanacker now has his first chance to impress the Blackhawks at the next level spending his spring with the Rockford IceHogs and gaining valuable experience before his expected return to the Bulldogs in the fall for the 2025-26 season.
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