Robert Picard
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Robert Rene Joseph Picard (born May 25, 1957) is a
Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
retired professional
ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice h ...
player.


Career

Robert Picard established himself as a highly regarded defensive prospect with the
Montreal Juniors The Montreal Juniors were a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League from 1975 to 1982. They played at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. History The Montreal Bleu Blanc Rouge were renamed in 1975, becoming t ...
and
Montreal Bleu Blanc Rouge The Montreal Bleu Blanc Rouge (''Blue, White and Red'' in English) were a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League from 1972 to 1975. They played at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. History The Montreal Bleu ...
from 1973 to 1977. He was selected 3rd overall by the
Washington Capitals The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, a ...
in the 1977 NHL Entry Draft. In Washington, expectations were high due to the team's abysmal performance, and Picard was expected to single-handedly reverse the losing fortunes. Picard played well, but after three seasons of unrealistic expectations he was traded to
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
in exchange for goaltender
Mike Palmateer Michael Scott Palmateer (born January 13, 1954) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goalie. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1976 to 1984 for the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Washington Capitals. Playing career As a yout ...
. Toronto management gave Picard little opportunity to show what he was capable of, sending him to his hometown
Montreal Canadiens The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...
in exchange for Michel Larocque in March, 1981. In his hometown, the expectations were raised even higher and, as before, Picard, in his sensitivity, tried to do more than he could. In 1983, he was traded to the
Winnipeg Jets The Winnipeg Jets are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and is owned by True North Sports & Entertainment, p ...
and was paired with fellow defender
Randy Carlyle Randolph Robert Carlyle (born April 19, 1956) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. He is the former head coach of the National Hockey League (NHL)'s Toronto Maple Leafs and the Anaheim Ducks. He won the Stanley Cup in 2 ...
, with whom he found an opportunity to play within his means. The time in Winnipeg was good but short. Just over two seasons later, he was again on the move, this time to the
Quebec Nordiques The Quebec Nordiques (french: Nordiques de Québec, pronounced in Quebec French, in Canadian English; translated "Quebec City Northmen" or "Northerners") were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City. The Nordiques played in the W ...
, where he was a regular on the blueline for four seasons before retiring after a 20-game stint with the Red Wings in 1990.


Trivia

On November 4, 1983, Picard was traded to the Winnipeg Jets by the Montreal Canadiens for Winnipeg's 3rd round choice in the 1984 Entry Draft, Montreal would use that draft pick to select goaltender
Patrick Roy Patrick Jacques Roy (; born October 5, 1965) is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey goaltender and executive, who serves as the head coach for the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). In 2017, Roy was named o ...
, who would go on to a Hall of Fame career. Robert Picard signed with the Capitals after he was drafted with the team’s first choice (third overall) in the 1977 NHL amateur draft. He later realized he could make more money in the World Hockey Association and signed a five-year deal for $625,000 with the WHA’s Quebec Nordiques in Sept., 1977. But the WHA barred Picard from playing with the Nords, realizing that the league would face a lawsuit from the NHL if he suited up. An angry and frustrated Picard said "I’d rather deliver pizzas in Quebec City" than play hockey in Washington. A few days later he reported for his first Capitals training camp.


Career statistics


Regular season and playoffs


International


External links

*
Profile at hockeydraftcentral.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Picard, Robert 1957 births Living people Canadian ice hockey defencemen Detroit Red Wings players Ice hockey people from Montreal Montreal Bleu Blanc Rouge players Montreal Canadiens players Montreal Juniors players National Hockey League first-round draft picks Quebec Nordiques (WHA) draft picks Quebec Nordiques players Toronto Maple Leafs players Washington Capitals draft picks Washington Capitals players Winnipeg Jets (1979–1996) players