List: 10 Best NCAA Products in NHL

Dec 23, 2014; Saint Paul, MN, USA; Minnesota Wild forward Thomas Vanek (26) protects the puck from Philadelphia Flyers forward Claude Giroux (28) during the first period at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

10. Thomas Vanek

College: University of Minnesota

Vanek may go down as the best Austrian-born player in NHL history.  Born to a Slovak mother and a Czech father, the Vanek family emigrated to the United States while Thomas was in grade school.  His stellar play for the Sioux Falls Stampede garnered him interest from many universities, most notably his ultimate destination: Minnesota.  There, he won the 2003 NCAA Championship and scored game winning goals vs. Michigan and New Hampshire.  On top of that, he was MVP for both Minnesota and the Frozen Four tourney that year.  The Austrian international spent the latter part of the 2000s in Buffalo, but has since played for the Islanders, Canadiens, and the Minnesota Wild where he resides now. In 2008, he led Austria to a gold medal at the IIHF World Championships.