The Tampa Bay Lightning hired recently retired NHL forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare as a player development specialist, vice president and general manager Julien BriseBois announced July 9, 2026. Bellemare will join the development staff under JP Cote and focus on forward prospects. He also will work with the Syracuse Crunch staff and players.
Bellemare played 700 career NHL games for the Philadelphia Flyers, Vegas Golden Knights, Colorado Avalanche, Seattle Kraken and Tampa Bay Lightning. He recorded 64 goals and 138 points during his NHL career. Bellemare played 153 games for Tampa Bay from 2021 to 2023, recording 13 goals, 33 points and a plus-15 rating.
Bellemare Moves Into Development Role After Retirement
Bellemare, 41, is a native of Le Blanc-Mesnil, France, and announced his retirement from hockey in summer 2026 after playing the 2025-26 season for HC Ajoie of the Swiss National League. He played four games for France at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games, scoring one goal and averaging 18:24 of ice time. Bellemare was undrafted before signing with the Philadelphia Flyers as a free agent on March 2, 2015.
Source: Original report