Alexandre R. Picard
A journeyman defenseman who carved out a decade-long professional career through sheer resilience, skating for seven different NHL teams.
Born 1985 (age 41)·Ice hockey player·Birthday: July 5·Millennials
Biography
Alexandre Picard's hockey life was defined by adaptability and a suitcase always half-packed. Drafted in the first round, the weight of expectation was there from the start, but his path was not that of a star. Instead, he became a reliable blue-line workhorse, the kind of player coaches could slot into different pairings and situations. Over ten professional seasons, he wore the sweaters of seven NHL clubs—from Columbus and Ottawa to Tampa Bay and Montreal—a testament to his value as a steady, movable asset in the league's constant churn of trades and signings. He wasn't a headline maker, but a survivor in the world's toughest hockey league, contributing over 300 games of honest, physical defense. His career embodies the reality for most professional athletes: a relentless pursuit of the next shift, the next contract, and the next city, sustained by a deep love for the game.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Alexandre was born in 1985, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Alexandre Was Born
The biggest hits of 1985
#1 Movie
Back to the Future
Best Picture
Out of Africa
#1 TV Show
Dynasty
Alexandre's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1985Born
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1990Started school
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1998Became a teenager
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2001Could drive
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2003Could vote
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2006Turned 21
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2015Turned 30
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 40
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 41 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played 341 regular-season games in the National Hockey League across a decade-long career.
- Was selected 8th overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.
- Represented seven different NHL franchises: Columbus, Ottawa, Carolina, Montreal, Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, and Phoenix/Arizona.
Did You Know?
He is a cousin of former NHL player and fellow defenseman Philippe Boucher.
He played his junior hockey in the QMJHL for the Halifax Mooseheads.
He scored his first NHL goal on October 7, 2005, playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets against the Vancouver Canucks.
“My job is to be ready, to be dependable, every single shift.”
