2026 NHL Draft Profile | Jakub Vanecek, Tri-City Americans

Jakub Vanecek always wanted to be like his big brother, Jan- especially when he watched him take his first strides on the ice.

“He started playing hockey before me,” Vanecek explained. “Then I started when I was three years old, so I started because of him.”

Years later, the brothers got to live out a bit of a childhood dream as they suited up alongside each other with Bili Tygri Liberec in the Czech U20 league.

Jakub had already garnered some buzz with a handful of national team appearances and a silver medal at the 2024 Youth Olympic Games.

But with one goal and 15 assists across 52 games at the U20 and U17 level, he was a bit of an off-the-radar prospect entering his draft year.

Maybe it was time for a change of scenery.

Vanecek had been selected by the Tri-City Americans with the 25th overall pick in the first round of the 2025 CHL Import Draft, and less than three weeks later, he had committed to make the jump from Czechia to North America.

“I think it’s the hardest junior league in the world,” Vanecek said. “This is why I picked WHL, because I want to play on the highest level.”

The smaller ice and amped-up checking proved to be a bit of a shock, but Vanecek fell into step quickly, netting 14 goals (including two-game winners) and 21 assists for 35 points in 59 games while growing more confident in his own physicality.

Vanecek led all Americans rookies in scoring and ranked sixth in points-per-game among all WHL first-year blueliners.

POST-N-IN!👏

Jakub Vanecek rips one for his 1⃣1⃣th of the season!👀@TCAmericans | #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/Y9sJdLDVL4

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) February 2, 2026

“He’s a solid two-way defenceman that skates well, defends well, and will chip in offensively when it’s required,” Ams Head Coach Jody Hull said. “To me, he’s a complete defenceman, and he’s only going to get better as he matures.

The thing I like about him is that he’s the same all the time. He practices the right way, he does his off-ice workouts the right way, he’s kind of a consummate pro. That’s what he wants to be, and he puts his best foot forward every day, regardless of what happens, and you know, I think he was probably one of our most consistent players.”

WOWWW JAKUB VANECEK. TIE GAME WITH LESS THAN 1 MINUTE LEFT IN THE THIRD 🤯@TCAmericans | #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/Cy2m6IXPvL

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) November 23, 2025

And NHL scouts have taken notice.

The 6-foot-2, 203-pound, left-shot defender is ranked 31st among all North American skaters leading into the 2026 NHL Draft.

In addition to packing on more than 10 pounds since joining Tri-City, he also finished in the top 20 in six events at the 2026 NHL Combine, highlighted by a tie for third in pull-ups with 16.

“He did it by being Jakub Vanecek,” Hull added. “He puts in the work, and at the end of the day, he knows what he wants to be, and that’s to be a pro hockey player. He’ll go above and beyond, but he’ll also just make sure he’s doing what’s needed for both the team to succeed and himself… He exudes character. He’s a guy that’ll be part of our leadership group moving forward, not so much by the vocal part of it, but more by example.”

On the international stage, Vanecek was part of Czechia’s silver medal-winning squad at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship, though he only appeared in pre-tournament games, and made a statement at the 2026 IIHF U18 World Championship with five points (3G-2A) in seven outings en route to a bronze medal.

Vanecek led all defencemen in goals at U18s and says his next goal is to make his World Juniors debut in December.

But first, he’ll wait with bated breath to see which team calls his name at this week’s NHL Draft.

Round 1 kicks off on Friday, June 26, at 5:00 p.m. MT, with Rounds 2-7 following on June 27 at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y.