Pierre-Edouard Bellemare will get a chance to fulfill a childhood dream as he will represent his home country of France in the 2026 Olympics. The former Colorado Avalanche forward was not a name I expected to hear this summer, but when I did, it immediately warmed my heart.
Around this time last year, I was writing hopefully about a long-shot return to Colorado for Bellemare. Late in the offseason, Bellemare had been invited to camp with the Avalanche on a PTO offer. That is an opportunity for NHL veterans to possibly fill a club's final roster spots.
Alas, it was not to be for the Frenchman last season. I was honestly surprised when the man I affectionately dubbed 'Phys Ed' during his Colorado career from 2019-21 didn't make the squad. I maintain the opinion that he would have worked fine as fourth liner.
The Avalanche front office instead chose to give the spot to Parker Kelly, a choice they were probably correct about. Kelly earning an extension speaks to that reality.
Even so, I have always been fond of the scrappy vet. Bellemare is an easy guy to like because he's all about grit. A solid checking line type who plays structurally sound and likes to mix it up, he'll certainly hit you with the body or in a fight defending a teammate.
I admit I was initially caught off guard at seeing Bellemare had not just been selected to the French team, but named their captain. In hindsight, I should not have been surprised at all.
Bellmare as a leader
Bellemare might be considered a journeyman in hockey terms, as he has played for five franchises in 10 NHL seasons. On the way to accumulating exactly 700 games played in the best league on the planet, Bellemare has filled many roles.
As a rookie in Philadelphia, P.E. set a career-best number in hits, collecting 121. Obviously, that feels like a lot for a young forward, but makes more sense if you know Bellemare was a late arrival to the league at 29. Add to that the cold hard truth of playing for a middling Flyers team whose most notable trait had to be physicality and you'll see how the foundation was laid. That Flyers team was 4th overall in hits delivered in 2014-2015.
Bellemare has always been a hockey player's hockey player. He isn't going to blow you away with offensive production, but he exemplifies what it is to be a pro. The two awards he has received votes for in his tenure prove that fact. In 2016-17, he got some small recognition for the Selke, the award for best defensive forward. In 2018-19, Bellemare was 30th in voting for the Lady Byng, hockey's sportsmanship trophy.
It should also be noted that Bellemare has worn A's as alternate captain for both Philadelphia and Vegas. During that brief preseason return to Colorado last September, he also wore an A on his sweater. Coaches and teammates love him.
Bellemare's best statistical year was with the Avalanche in 2019-20 when he tallied 22 points. As fate would have it, the closest he ever came to a Stanley Cup was in 2022, when he was with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Colorado was thus responsible for crushing his dreams.
Olympic underdogs
France is set to be major underdogs in the Winter Games. Selecting a player who will be exactly a month shy of his 41st birthday when the games begin in Milan might suggest a lack of depth. It's true that France will only suit up a few players with NHL level experience.
Against powerhouses like Canada and the United States, Bellemare's boys will be an afterthought to most fans. Heck, even Sweden and Finland will seem like veritable goliaths in comparison. Those four teams put on an awesome Four Nations showdown in February.
What that mini-tournament proved though, was that international competition is tremendous fun. The level of skill right now is as good as it has ever been worldwide. The fact that a grit and guts guy can lead an Olympic roster is incredibly cool.
Sure, it's guys like Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar who transcend the sport and break through to outside acclaim. That is always going to be true at the top. But for the real puckheads out there who know what it is to live and die for a fourth line grinder, this means more.
Look no further than Avalanche fans‘ reaction to the news that Joel Kiviranta is returning on a one-year deal for proof. Hockey fans understand that so-called bottom-six players are vital to overall club chemistry. This is all the more resonant when you are representing your country.
Even if Bellemare didn't get a Colorado coda to his NHL career, it's clear that this Olympic chapter will be an even more epic way to skate off into the sunset.