Blues to honor Picard with No. 4 on helmets

PITTSBURGH - Blues players will honor original Blue Noel Picard by wearing a No. 4 decal on their helmets during the month of October.
Picard passed away on Sept. 6 after a long battle with cancer. He played for the Blues from 1967 until 1973, appearing in 278 regular season games and registering 12 goals, 46 assists (58 points) and 583 penalty minutes. Picard also played in 47 playoff games for the Blues, including the club's first three appearances in the Stanley Cup Final.

"Noel was one of the best friends and teammates that I had here," said Bob Plager. "He gave me a chance to be a better player. He made a lot of us better players, and our success in the playoffs in those early years, he was a big, big part of us being successful. He was a player that gave a lot of our players a chance to become better players."
Picard's memory will be honored prior to the national anthem at Saturday's home opener vs. Dallas at Scottrade Center. Picard's wife, Viviane, along with his son, Dan and daughter Annie, will represent the Blues alongside the color guard during the anthem.