Pierre-Édouard Bellemare

Lore & Background

Bellemare began his professional career in France's Ligue Magnus with Dragons de Rouen at age 17, showing early offensive promise. He moved to Sweden's second-tier league, HockeyAllsvenskan, with Leksands IF, where he led the league with 31 goals in 2008–09. He then joined Skellefteå AIK of the SHL, serving as an alternate captain and winning back-to-back Swedish Championships in 2013 and 2014.

At age 29, Bellemare signed his first NHL contract with the Philadelphia Flyers. He made the opening night roster as a fourth-line centre and scored his first NHL goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He was selected by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 Expansion Draft and helped the team reach the 2018 Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season. He later signed with the Colorado Avalanche, setting career highs in goals (9) and points (22) in the 2019–20 season.

Bellemare also played for the Tampa Bay Lightning, reaching the 2022 Stanley Cup Final, and the Seattle Kraken. After going unsigned, he attended Colorado's training camp on a professional tryout in 2024 but was released. He finished his career with HC Ajoie of the Swiss NL before announcing his retirement on 18 June 2026.

Reader's Guide

Bellemare's significance lies in his role as a durable, defensively responsible fourth-line centre who carved out a decade-long NHL career after starting in Europe at a relatively late age. He became the French-born player with the most NHL games, surpassing Antoine Roussel. His career included two Stanley Cup Final appearances—with the expansion Vegas Golden Knights in 2018 and with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2022—though he did not win the Cup. He also represented France at twelve Ice Hockey World Championships and the 2026 Winter Olympics. His legacy is that of a reliable two-way forward who adapted his game to succeed in North America after a successful European career that included two Swedish championships.

Did You Know?

• Bellemare led the HockeyAllsvenskan with 31 goals in the 2008–09 season.
• He scored his first NHL goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins on 22 October 2014.
• Bellemare won back-to-back Swedish Championships with Skellefteå AIK in 2013 and 2014.