Bellemare plays last game internationally for Team France at Olympics

MILAN -- The Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 were a dream come true and the final chapter for Pierre-Edouard Bellemare on the international hockey stage.

The 40-year-old forward announced he’s represented his country for the last time after Team France was eliminated in a 5-1 loss to Team Germany in the qualification round on Tuesday.

Bellemare looked up at the crowd at Santagiulia Arena to take in the moment, then clapped towards the France fans, likely directed to his family and friends. He embraced the French training staff after going through the traditional handshake line before making his way to the tunnel leading to the dressing room.

His eyes were welling with tears while speaking with reporters.

“That was my last game,” Bellemare said. “I had to reach the quarterfinals to keep on wearing this jersey. It’s a bit tough emotionally, but I’ve never played just for myself, and I’m not going to start now.”

The longtime France forward was proud of his team’s effort.

“I’m also sad that we couldn’t pull off a spectacular game to advance to the next round,” Bellemare said. “Our fans in France deserved it. We’re a small hockey nation. The good news is there’s a lot to look forward to.

“If this Olympic tournament can inspire a young kid to play, that would be fantastic. In a few years, that kid could be here in my skates in this very spot.”

In his farewell game for France, Bellemare scored his team’s only goal. He cut Germany’s lead to 3-1 at 4:02 of the second period with a shot that deflected off the leg of Germany defenseman Moritz Mueller and got past goalie Philipp Grubauer.

His goal won't be part of the Milan Cortina 2026 highlight reel, but it was a first on the Olympic stage for Bellemare, an ambassador for French hockey.

"I gave him that goal," Grubauer joked. "It was a Christmas present from me. But I can laugh about it since we won."

At the end of the game, Grubauer, 34, gave his former teammate with the Colorado Avalanche (2019-2021) and Seattle Kraken (2023-2024), a warm hug.

“Ha … I was emotional shaking Pierre-Edouard’s hand,” Grubauer said. “I wanted to give him a hug. He’s such a good player. He’s had a fantastic career, but he’s also an incredible person. It was a pleasure to play against him. I played with him for a long time at the NHL level, and it was an honor to be his teammate. He’s a true leader.

“I hope he enjoyed the game despite the loss. He’s closing an important chapter of his career with France. He played this game in front of his family and friends.”

When reminded he scored his only goal in four Olympic games against a good friend, Bellemare simply smiled. For a brief moment, he set aside the feeling of sadness that had been overwhelming him.

“Philipp was kind to me after the game, but everyone was,” Bellemare said. “Everyone was really cool. Sometimes that doesn’t help because the emotions come out even more, but I want to thank everyone.

“We came here to earn respect. We played against four top countries (Switzerland, Czechia, Canada and Germany). Technically, we don’t belong in this competition; our world ranking is lower than the top 12. There’s a reason for that.”

After 700 NHL games and 12 IIHF World Championship appearances, Bellemare can now also call himself an Olympian. He will go on and finish his season with HC Ajoie in the Swiss National League before retiring to end a storied playing career.

“Pierre received a lot of hugs at this tournament,” said Yohann Auvitu, a 36-year-old France defenseman who briefly played in the NHL from 2016-18 with the New Jersey Devils and Edmonton Oilers. “He deserves all the love he gets. He is a respected player not just in France, but also internationally.”