In the Winter Olympics, NHL fans may see some players who are no longer in the pro league competing for their country. For Philadephia Flyers fans tuning into the 2026 Winter Olympics, they may haves spotted former forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare suiting up for France. Bellemare last played in the NHL for the Seattle Kraken during the 2023-24 season and is currently playing for Switzerland's HC Ajoie.
For France, they went winless in group play, with their last loss coming in the form of a 10-2 blowout defeat to Canada. So far in these Olympics, Canada looks as terrifying as expected due to the unreal talent on the roster, including 19-year-old Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks. Celebrini has four goals and two assists for six points in three group play games, tied for second-most among all players.
After France's loss to Canada, Bellemare said Celebrini looked "absolutely amazing," and joked that it's a good thing he doesn't play in the NHL anymore.
"Goddamn. It's good that I stopped (playing) in the NHL because if this is what it's gonna look like, it's better for me to not be in there anymore," said Bellemare, h/t Mark Lazerus of The Athletic.
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare jokes it's good not to play in NHL after playing against Macklin Celebrini in Olympics
That's about as blunt of a statement a player could make. Bellemare saw firsthand how great Celebrini is, and he's standing out on his own on a team that features Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, and Nathan MacKinnon. With the Sharks, he has 81 points (28 goals, 53 assists) through 55 games this season. He looks like the real deal and probably one of the best No. 1 picks in recent memory.
On Tuesday, Bellemare and France's run in the Olympics ended after they lost 5-1 to Germany. Bellemare scored France's lone goal in the win-or-go-home game.
After the game, Bellemare said that "this is it" in terms of playing. When he was asked if he could potentially play for France in 2030 in the Winter Olympics, Bellemare said that "he owes it to his family to stop," as transcribed by Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare says, “This is it.”
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) February 17, 2026
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
Bellemare began his NHL career back in 2014 when he signed with the Flyers on a one-year contract after spending the start of his professional hockey career in France and Sweden. Bellemare wasn't an elite scoring forward, but he was a great defender and played an integral role on Philadelphia's penalty kill. Bellemare spent three seasons with the Flyers, recording 17 goals, 17 assists, 259 hits, 192 blocked shots, 93 takeaways and 56 giveaways in 237 games. Bellemare's tenure in Philadelphia ended after he was selected by the Vegas Golden Knights in their expansion draft in 2017. When he was selected, it was a relief to Flyers fans as he was considered one of Dave Hakstol's favorites, but he proved his value with his strong two-way game.
Bellemare spent two years with the Golden Knights, including their inaugural season where they went on to reach the Stanley Cup Final after winning the Western Conference. After his two year run with Vegas, Bellemare played for the Colorado Avalanche (2019-21), Tampa Bay Lightning (2020-22), and Kraken (2023-24). Bellemare has 64 goals, 74 assists, 615 hits, 502 blocked shots, and 323 takeaways in 700 career games.
Bellemare gave it his all in the Olympics, and now with France's run over, he appears to be calling it a career.