Marc-Édouard Vlasic Explained

Marc-Édouard Vlasic
Birth Date:30 March 1987
Birth Place:Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Height Ft:6
Height In:1
Weight Lb:205
Position:Defence
Shoots:Left
League:NHL
Team:San Jose Sharks
Ntl Team:CAN
Draft:35th overall
Draft Year:2005
Draft Team:San Jose Sharks
Career Start:2006

Marc-Édouard Vlasic (Croatian: Vlašić; born March 30, 1987) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Vlasic holds the team record for most games played by a defenceman for the Sharks.

Playing career

San Jose Sharks (2006–present)

Vlasic was drafted by the San Jose Sharks 35th overall in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, using a pick exchanged for goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff. Vlasic attended high school at Collège Sainte-Anne High School for three years, then a one-year stint at West Island College before making the jump to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), where he played three seasons of major junior hockey with the Quebec Remparts. He won the Memorial Cup with Quebec in 2006.

On August 27, 2008, the San Jose Sharks signed Vlasic to a four-year, $12.4 million contract extension that would keep him with the team through the . On July 11, 2012, responding to the six full seasons of reliable play that earned him the replacement of "Pickles" as his nickname to "Steady Eddie", the Sharks signed Vlasic to a 5-year, $21 million contract extension that would keep him with the Sharks through the .[1] [2] Up to that point Vlasic had played only one game in the minors, for the Worcester Sharks in 2008, where he notched 2 points.

Early in the 2012–13 season, Vlasic became the second player from the 2005 draft class to play 500 games, and later scored his first career Stanley Cup playoffs goal, during the playoffs, against Jonathan Quick of the Los Angeles Kings.[3]

On July 1, 2017, he signed a $56 million, eight-year contract extension with the Sharks.[4]

Vlasic played his 1,000th NHL game on December 14, 2019; he was only the 17th player to play his first 1,000 games with one team.[5]

International play

Vlasic was named to the 2014 Canadian Olympic Hockey Team where his team won Gold against Sweden 3–0.

Following the Sharks defeat by the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round of the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs, Vlasic was invited to play for Team Canada at the 2018 IIHF World Championship.[6]

Personal life

Of Croatian descent,[7] [8] Marc-Édouard has three younger brothers: Thomas, Charles, and James, the last two being twins.[9] He attended West Island College in Quebec. He married his high school sweetheart, Martine.[10] His cousin, Emma Vlasic, plays for the Connecticut Whale of the Premier Hockey Federation, and was former captain of Yale's women's hockey team, and her younger brother, Alex, plays for the Chicago Blackhawks.[11] [12]

The Quebec Remparts retired Vlasic's number 44 in 2015.[13]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGPGAPtsPIMGPGAPtsPIM
2002–03West Island LionsQMAAA4146101490330
2003–04West Island LionsQMAAA21120
2003–04Quebec RempartsQMJHL411910450110
2004–05Quebec RempartsQMJHL705253033132792
2005–06Quebec RempartsQMJHL6616577357235242910
2006–07San Jose SharksNHL813232618110112
2007–08San Jose SharksNHL822121424130110
2007–08Worcester SharksAHL10220
2008–09San Jose SharksNHL82630364260110
2009–10San Jose SharksNHL643131633150334
2010–11San Jose SharksNHL804141818180334
2011–12San Jose SharksNHL82419234050002
2012–13San Jose SharksNHL4834729111126
2013–14San Jose SharksNHL81519243851230
2014–15San Jose SharksNHL709142323
2015–16San Jose SharksNHL678313948241111212
2016–17San Jose SharksNHL75622283560332
2017–18San Jose SharksNHL8111213234100226
2018–19San Jose SharksNHL723222510183584
2019–20San Jose SharksNHL705101510
2020–21San Jose SharksNHL511568
2021–22San Jose SharksNHL753111418
2022–23San Jose SharksNHL781171816
2023–24San Jose SharksNHL57661226
NHL totals1,296832933764701426333942

International

YearTeamEventResultGPGAPtsPIM
2009CanadaWC50004
2012CanadaWC5th20000
2014CanadaOG60000
2016CanadaWCH60440
2017CanadaWC101122
2018CanadaWC4th61010
Senior totals352576

Notes and References

  1. News: Sharks sign Marc-Edouard Vlasic to five-year contract extension . David . Pollak . July 11, 2012 . . His solid defensive play in 471 games over the past six seasons has transformed his nickname from Pickles to Steady Eddie . May 9, 2018 . subscription . https://web.archive.org/web/20170509120821/http://www.mercurynews.com/2012/07/11/sharks-sign-marc-edouard-vlasic-to-five-year-contract-extension/ . May 9, 2017 . live.
  2. News: 'Steady Eddie' Vlasic set to return to Sharks lineup . Cam . Tucker . December 12, 2015 . . November 9, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231110035330/https://www.nbcsports.com/nhl/news/steady-eddie-vlasic-set-to-return-to-sharks-lineup . November 10, 2023 . live.
  3. Web site: Best of 2012–13: Vlasic Info . . August 6, 2013.
  4. Web site: Sharks Sign Vlasic to an Eight-Year Contract Extension. July 2017 . National Hockey League. July 1, 2017.
  5. Web site: Vlasic, set for 1,000th game with Sharks, has been 'Steady Eddie' . Ross . McKeon . December 13, 2019 . . October 30, 2022.
  6. Web site: Canada adds Sharks defense-man Vlasic to world hockey championship team. sportsnet.ca. May 9, 2018. May 9, 2018.
  7. Web site: New York Rangersi kod kuće bolji od San Josea. Jutarnji list. November 1, 2011. Croatian. April 16, 2012.
  8. Web site: Hrvat postigao prekrasan autogol u NHL-u. Večernji list. Nino. Matić. Croatian. April 16, 2012.
  9. News: Sharks' Marc-Edouard Vlasic has Montreal fans in his corner. Cowan. Stu. The Gazette. Montreal. June 3, 2016. November 25, 2018.
  10. News: Cowan. Stu. Stu Cowan: A chilly Montreal homecoming for Sharks' Marc-Édouard Vlasic. The Gazette. Montreal. January 2, 2018. May 9, 2018.
  11. Web site: THREE THINGS: What you need to know about Alex Vlasic. June 22, 2019 . September 3, 2020. National Hockey League. en-US.
  12. Web site: Vlasic hoping to add to family legacy at 2019 NHL Draft. National Hockey League. March 21, 2019.
  13. Web site: Le chandail de Marc-Édouard Vlasic retiré par les Remparts. remparts.ca. May 9, 2018. French. March 18, 2015.