Pierre-Edouard Bellemare hasn’t played in the NHL since the 2023-24 season. But after France fell 5-1 to Germany in an Olympic elimination game on Tuesday, the 40-year-old former Avalanche forward announced his retirement from professional hockey entirely.
Bellemare scored France’s lone goal, becoming the fourth-oldest player to ever find the back of the net in an Olympics with NHL participation. He trails only Teemu Selanne, Daniel Alfredsson, and Jaromir Jagr.
“This is it,” Bellemare told reporters in Italy.
The journeyman center didn’t crack the NHL until the age of 29. He began his career in Philadelphia, where he played three full seasons with the Flyers. After being selected in the 2017 expansion draft, Bellemare went on to suit up for the Vegas Golden Knights for two seasons.
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare says, “This is it.”
Asked if he could play in 2030 — when France hosts — Bellemare said physically, he feels he could, but he owes it to his family to stop.
No more moving around, deciding which toys his young children can keep; allowing his wife to… pic.twitter.com/pHJkghqdtw
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) February 17, 2026
In first year with the Golden Knights, Bellemare made the Stanley Cup Final before falling to the Washington Capitals in five games.
After his second season, he joined the Avalanche on a two-year contract as an unrestricted free agent, becoming the staple of the fourth line. Bellemare spent most of his time paired with winger Matt Calvert and was a key penalty kill contributor.
He scored nine goals both in 2019-20 and 2020-21, which ties his career-high for goals in a single season. In 2020, he also had career bests in assists (13) and points (22), compiling those totals in just 69 games before COVID abruptly ended the regular season.
Bellemare then signed on with the Tampa Bay Lightning, and faced the Avalanche in 2022 Stanley Cup Final. In that series, he was the center of Tampa’s fourth line on an all-veteran line with wingers Patrick Maroon and Corey Perry.
For the second time in his career, he was unsuccessful in the Cup Final, this time falling in six games.
Bellemare’s last sniff of the NHL was back with the Avs. He signed a professional tryout and took part in Colorado’s training camp in October 2024. He was one of the last cuts, failing to earn a contract to extend a 700-game NHL career.
He quickly shifted and played two years in Switzerland’s national league, allowing him to partake in the Olympics for France. Bellemare served as the captain.
