He was also a fixture in international hockey, representing France at the Olympics and International Ice Hockey Federation world championships and Team Europe in the World Cup of Hockey 2016.
Bellemare discussed retirement, his playing career, his new job and what the future holds in a Q&A with NHL.com.
What do you hope to teach Lightning prospects?
"I can try to help some other players trying to maybe get through the same path as me or maybe go through an easier path. I was undrafted, 29 years old, coming from the ghettos, and I ended up playing 700 games, so it is a doable thing. But there was sacrifice. I'm going to be in the position to explain to those younger players what they can achieve, because most of them are probably going to be much more talented than I was."
What was the hardest part about your decision to retire?
"My brain comprehends it's better for the family to create a situation for both our kids to not have to worry about moving. My wife and I, we've been together for 17 years, and we've been moving almost every two years. We'd like to just have a place to stay. This is all the logic part. But in my heart, I love the game. I love to compete. And there is this will of proving people wrong … Everybody seemed to think, ‘You're 40 years old, you have to stop playing the game.' I don't think so if you take care of yourself. If you have pretty good discipline, you can still compete with the young guys. My heart wants to show that to people. But I understand that's the logic. It's a necessity for my family to have stability. The hardest part of the decision is to work the heart feeling and the logic feeling to kind of balance it out."
What are some of the fondest memories from your NHL career?
"Probably the World Cup and my first (NHL) game. My first game, every single person in the organization in Philly and the players realize, ‘He's a (29) year-old rookie,' came and congratulate me. I felt like that was such a cool moment that people took extra consideration to make me understand that they appreciate all my years of work. Individually, being selfish, it's the World Cup of Hockey because I felt like I had no place being there. I always say it was the 169 best players in the world, and me."
What were the biggest disappointments?
"Obviously, the Cup (Finals). We worked so hard to achieve something in Vegas. You felt like the town needed it to help them get through the October 1 shooting tragedy. We wanted to give it (the Stanley Cup) to the town, so it felt like a disappointment because we let the town down a bit, that's how I felt. Then the second Cup (Final with Tampa Bay in 2022) because you're, like, ‘Well, this is it. You won't go there a third time, so make the most of it.' I wasn't 100 percent. I needed surgery, and I played … but I didn't feel like I played to the best of my capability, and that (ticks) me off. But injuries are part of our game."
France will host the 2028 IIHF World Championship in Paris and Lyon and the 2030 French Alps Olympics. Will you have roles in these events?
"After I signed with Tampa, the national team contacted me to know if I wanted to be involved. With 2028 coming in, then 2030 coming, obviously I would be very proud being there to help French hockey, but also just proud to be there for my country and for the sport in general. But now, I have to ask Tampa first to see what it is that I would be allowed to do. It's not just me now, right? I was retired and now I'm going back into work."
