Vanek has competed for the Austrian men’s national team, earning a gold medal at the 2008 IIHF World Championships in Austria. He also won gold at the IIHF World U20 Championships in 2003 in Solvenia and silver in 2002 in Austria. During the summer of 2014, Vanek was named in an investigation into a purported illegal gambling ring allegedly held at the Marina Restaurant & Bar in Charlotte, New York. Vanek has maintained his innocence and denies any wrongdoing as the investigation continues. He has three sons with his wife, Ashley, and lives in Minnesota.