Michel Picard (ice hockey)
A versatile NHL forward who carved out a 13-season career through adaptability and a sharp offensive touch.
Born 1969 (age 57)·Ice hockey player·Birthday: November 7·Generation X
Biography
Michel Picard's hockey journey is a testament to the value of a reliable, skilled utility player. Drafted by the Hartford Whalers, the left-winger possessed a quick release and a scorer's instinct, netting a career-high 24 goals in his sophomore season. His career, however, would be defined by movement. Picard became a valued journeyman, lending his offensive capabilities to seven different NHL franchises, including the expansion Ottawa Senators and San Jose Sharks. He was the kind of player coaches could slot into various roles—a power-play specialist one night, a dependable top-nine forward the next. After retiring in 2003, he seamlessly transitioned into scouting, using his experienced eye to evaluate talent for the St. Louis Blues, the very team he once played for. His story is one of professional longevity built on hockey smarts and flexibility.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Michel was born in 1969, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Michel Was Born
The biggest hits of 1969
#1 Movie
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Best Picture
Midnight Cowboy
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Michel's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1969Born
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1974Started school
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1982Became a teenager
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Could drive
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
1987Could vote
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1990Turned 21
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
1999Turned 30
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 40
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 50
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 57 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played 513 regular-season NHL games, scoring 91 goals and 209 total points.
- Recorded a career-best 24 goals and 48 points for the Hartford Whalers in the 1993-94 season.
- Was selected by the Ottawa Senators in the 1992 NHL Expansion Draft and played for the team in its inaugural seasons.
- Served as an amateur scout for the St. Louis Blues following his playing career.
Did You Know?
He was drafted 36th overall by the Hartford Whalers in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft.
He played for both Canadian NHL expansion teams of the early 1990s: the Ottawa Senators and the San Jose Sharks.
His final NHL game was with the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2002-2003 season.
“My job was to be ready, whether it was the first line or the fourth.”
