Bellemare retires after 10 seasons in NHL

Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, whose 700 NHL regular-season games are the most by a French player, announced his retirement Thursday.

In a post on his Instagram account, Bellemare wrote, “And so comes the time for me to join the privileged group of individuals that make a statement about the end of their professional career.”

Signed as an undrafted free agent by the Philadelphia Flyers on June 11, 2014, the 41-year-old forward had 138 points (64 goals, 74 assists) in those 700 games with the Flyers, Vegas Golden Knights, Colorado Avalanche, Tampa Bay Lightning and Seattle Kraken from 2014-15 through 2023-24, and 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in 85 Stanley Cup Playoff games. He reached the Cup Final twice, with the Golden Knights in 2018 and Lightning in 2022.

“At 6 and half years old, I started this sport that was quite unknown in my country. A big sister’s wish to try hockey brought me a new passion,” he said on the social media post. “A sport often made fun of at school, cause it was not soccer, and challenged by all my teachers because of the lack of potential to succeed in it. The challenges were constant, from those minor issues mentioned above, to the lack of finances in our family situation to pay for such an extravagant hobby.

“To be honest, most of it was solved by my mom. My father wasn’t really present, and so, this single mom gave me and my 4 siblings all the values that were needed to succeed. A lot of that advice was given, not being aware of the importance of her words. And all those challenges created who I became in this sport that I love so much. Hockey has been a compass for me, directed me in all my choices, and brought me out of a lot of potential problems. This compass has been my single focus for 24 years of professional career, and has helped me for about 34 years. It guided me to my wife, it helped my entire family, and it molded me as a human being.”

Bellemare became the ninth player born in France to reach the NHL when he joined the Flyers for the start of the 2014-15 season at age 29. He played five seasons in the Swedish Elite League (now the Swedish Hockey League) for Skelleftea AIK. He developed into an NHL-quality player, scoring 64 goals and 125 points in 238 games and winning the SEL title in 2013 and 2014. Bellemare credited his coaches at Skelleftea for helping to hone his face-off skills and improving his work in the defensive zone.

His last appearance with NHL players was in February, when he represented France in the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics.

“It is with a bigger sorrow than I expected that I say my goodbyes as a player, not just for the fun of competing and playing, but for all the human relationships that you create throwing yourself in front of pucks during any given season,” he said. “And of course, it’s at this time that you question who you are as a person without this compass. Luckily for me, I’m ending my professional career at an age where it would almost raise more questions if I kept going. This compass, joined with the education and discipline received from my mom, created this career and allowed me to reach goals that were never intended. I have always said that the NHL was a consequence of my hard work but, the Olympics was always the dream.”

As part of his message, he also thanked the fans of the NHL.

“Before I thank my family, I want to thank the principal group that makes our sport one of the greatest. Every single fan of our game, whether you loved or hated me, it helped me be better, enjoy more, and strive to work harder. Your personal chants like in Rouen, Leksand, SAIK, or Ajoie, your craziness to defend me against all, like in Philly or Vegas, your endless amount of signs to support me like in the Avs, Seattle or the Lightning are all memories for life.”