Backcheck: Thomas Vanek

Thomas Vanek is scoring at an incredible clip early in this shortened NHL season, leading the league in both goals (11) and points (23) in just 13 games.

In fact, Vanek’s 1.77 point-per-game clip is even more impressive than his days as a Minnesota Golden Gopher, when he put up 1.36 points per game during a two-year span. The Austria native led the Gophers to their second of back-to-back national championships in 2003, earning tournament MVP honors in Buffalo – the city that would become his pro home.

We caught up with Vanek last season and it’s clear, even nine years after his days on campus, that he still holds his time at Minnesota dear.