Kacey Bellamy retires after 15 years with USA Hockey

Veteran defender Kacey Bellamy is retiring from the United States women’s national team, USA Hockey announced Tuesday.

The 34-year-old has had an illustrious career as a three-time Olympian and seven-time world champion, the latter of which ranks second all-time in U.S. history.

Most notably, Bellamy was part of the historic 2018 team that defeated Canada in a shootout to win gold at the Pyeongchang Olympic Games. The U.S. team’s gold-medal run ended a 20-year drought in the event.

In a statement released through USA Hockey, Bellamy reflected on her long and storied career.

“Being able to represent my country for the past 15 years has been such a privilege,” she said. “Before every game, I would look at the USA crest before putting the jersey on.”

Bellamy added that, although retiring was a difficult decision, she is ready to step away from the sport and start her next chapter.

USA Hockey will also have to move into a new chapter without Bellamy as the national team prepares for the world championships in August and the Olympics next year.