Bellemare, Texier among first six players named to France’s 2026 Olympic hockey team

France has announced its first six players for the 2026 Winter Olympics, highlighted by a pair of players with NHL experience.

Forwards Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Alexandre Texier and Jordann Perret, as well as defenders Yohann Auvitu, Jules Boscq and Hugo Gallet, were the first players to have confirmed their paritcipation for next winter.

Alexandre Texier, Yohann Auvitu, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Jules Boscq, Hugo Gallet and Jordann Perre are France's first six players. https://t.co/i3E9kOdDBc

— Steven Ellis (@SEllisHockey) June 16, 2025

France was the last team added to the Olympics after the IOC ruled in favor of banning Russia. France did no qualify for the main event originally, and was added due to their status of being the highest-rated team that didn’t play their way into the tournament.

France will play in Group A alongside Canada, Czechia and Switzerland, with the tournament taking place from Feb. 11-22 in Milano, Italy.

Bellemare has been a staple of the French national team for over three decades. He made his first appearance with the U-18 team in 2001-02, and has since gone on to play in 84 World Championship games between the top and second divisions. In that span, he has 46 points, often playing a key role for France. He also had a solid 700-game NHL career, mainly playing depth roles for Philadelphia, Vegas, Colorado, Tampa Bay and Seattle. He is set to play a second season for HC Ajoie in the top league in Switzerland in 2025-26.

Texier is the lone current NHLer on this team. The 25-year-old had 11 points in 31 games for the St. Louis Blues this past season in his sixth NHL campaign. He has 90 points in 232 games over his career, and another 15 points in 32 games in five World Championship tournament appearances.

France is set to head down to Division IA for the 2026 World Championship after finishing last in their group in the main event last month. France is the lone Olympic men’s hockey team that won’t be in Switzerland for the top division tournament next spring.

France has played in 10 Olympic tournaments to date, but none since the 2002 Games in Salt Lake. Their best finish was fifth, doing so in 1920, 1924 and 1928.