Sharks’ Marc-Edouard Vlasic has birthday party with dogs

April 4 (UPI) — San Jose Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic celebrated his 31st birthday with three of his closest dog friends.

“My kind of birthday party,” Vlasic wrote Monday on Twitter. “Would not have it any other way.”

“Looks like quite the party,” the NHL responded.

Vlasic turned 31-years-old on March 30. The Quebec native joined the Sharks in the second round of the 2005 NHL Entry draft. Vlasic has 64 goals and 222 assists in 891 career games during his 12-year hockey tenure. He registered a +/- of 2 in the Shark’s 4-3 win against the Chicago Blackhawks Tuesday at the United Center. Vlasic had a hit and four blocks in 27:19 on the ice. This season he has scored a career-high 11 goals and registered 221 assists.

The defender has managed just two minor penalties all season, the fewest for an NHL defenseman. Vlasic had 10 minors last season and nine in 2015, 2014 and 2013.

But Vlasic’s love for his dogs definitely isn’t minor.

He routinely shows off the pups on social media. On March 21 he tweeted: “An off day means an all dog day.” The post included the defenseman walking around town with two leashed dogs and one in a wagon. He also posted a Christmas shot of his fur-family and is active in animal associated events with the Sharks.

“Where there’s doggos, there’s @Vlasic44,” the Sharks tweeted in December.

Vlasic even had his pups out in November for a puck drop before a San Jose Barracuda’s game and was featured on a bobblehead with the canines.

Here is one more for the road:

Vlasic is four points shy of his career high of 36 points, which he set during the 2008-2009 season. He will have two more chances to get those points. The Sharks finish the season with matches against the Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild. The puck drops for the season-finale against the Wild at 10:30 p.m. Saturday at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif.