Alexandre R. Picard

Infobox Ice Hockey Player
position = Defence
shoots = Left
height_ft = 6
height_in = 2
weight_lb = 222
team = Ottawa Senators
league = NHL
former_teams = Philadelphia Flyers
Tampa Bay Lightning
nationality = Canada
birth_date = birth date and age|1985|7|5
birth_place = Hull, QC, CAN
career_start = 2005
draft_team = Philadelphia Flyers
draft_year = 2003
draft = 85th overall

Alexandre Picard (born July 5, 1985 in Hull, Quebec) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He plays defence for the Ottawa Senators in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Playing career

Picard began his career by playing major junior hockey for the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL. The team was highly successful while he was there, even helping them reach the President's Cup finals in 2002–03. In fact, following that season, he was one of eight players on the team chosen in 2003 NHL Entry Draft. However, he was among several players traded to the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, but returned to the Mooseheads for his final season in the QMJHL, but they unfortunately had a short post-season berth.

Following the post-season, Picard went to Philadelphia, and began to work-out with the Philadelphia Phantoms, the AHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers, who were in the Calder Cup finals. When teammate Randy Jones was injured in game two, he was signed to an amateur tryout contract to fill the roster spot. So, Picard played alongside veteran John Slaney in about a dozen shifts in games three and four to help the Phantoms sweep the Chicago Wolves.

A month later, the Flyers announced that they had signed Picard to a three year contract to fill the spot left on the Phantoms roster by Patrick Sharp. So, Picard played his first full professional season for the Phantoms, and also played six games for the Flyers in four stints. He was also called up to be backup for the Flyers during the 2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Picard began the 2006–07 NHL season with the Phantoms, but after just six games, he was called up to replace the injured Mike Rathje and began his rookie season in the NHL. Picard proved he could stay in the NHL when, on February 1, 2007, he recorded five assists in a game against the New Jersey Devils, nearly tying the franchise record set by Eric Lindros.

Picard was dealt to the Tampa Bay Lightning on February 25, 2008 (along with a draft pick) for forward Vaclav Prospal.

On August 29, 2008, Picard was traded to the Ottawa Senators along with Filip Kuba and a first round draft pick for Andrej Meszároš.

Awards

*2004–05: Second All-Star Team (QMJHL)

Career statistics

References

*"Halifax Moosheads".
**"Connolly, Pat". [http://www.halifaxmooseheads.ca/default.asp?mn=1.7.25 Mooseheads History] . Retrieved 4 Aug 2006.
**"Croucher, Philip".
*** [http://www.halifaxmooseheads.ca/default.asp?id=190&pagesize=1&sfield=content.id&search=656&mn=1.8.30 Picard plays on Flyers' farm] . 8 June 2005.
*** [http://www.halifaxmooseheads.ca/default.asp?id=190&pagesize=1&sfield=content.id&search=677&mn=1.8.30 Tow more for the pot] . 28 July 2005.
** [http://www.halifaxmooseheads.ca/default.asp?id=190&pagesize=1&sfield=content.id&search=678&mn=1.8.30 All six Mooseheads' picked in 2003 draft signed to NHL contracts] . 29 July 2005.
*"Philadelphia Phantoms".
** (6 June 2005). [http://www.phantomshockey.com/pressbox/archive/1414.asp?&bPrintPage=Y Philadelphia Phantoms Weekly] . Press release.
** (21 April 2006). [http://www.phantomshockey.com/pressbox/featurestory/1663.asp Flyers On The Runway] . Press release.
** [http://www.phantomshockey.com/lockerroom/RosterDetail.asp?PlayerID=248 Alexandre Picard] . Retrieved 4 Aug 2006.

External links

*TSN-NHL-profile|3496|Alexandre Picard
*hockeydb|62277|Alexandre Picard