MONTREAL — Former NHL defenceman Noel Picard has died in Montreal at the age of 78.
The St. Louis Blues say he died last week after a long battle against cancer.
Picard, who played 16 games for the Montreal Canadiens in 1964-65, then played for St. Louis 1967 to 1973, scoring 12 goals and 46 assists.
He also played 47 playoff games with the Blues before finishing his NHL career in 1972-73 with the Atlanta Flames.
Picard appears in one of the most famous hockey photographs which shows Bobby Orr horizontally flying through the air after scoring a Stanley Cup-winning goal against the Blues. Orr took flight after being tripped by Picard in front of St. Louis goalie Glenn Hall.
A funeral for Picard will be held next Saturday in Montreal.
The Canadian Press