Three legends of emerging squads both played their final international matches today at the 2017 World Championship, as French goalie Cristobal Huet, French captain Laurent Meunier and Danish captain Morten Green played their final games of the tournament, finalizing their retirements that were announced before the tournament began.

For the 41 year old Huet, this marks the end of a brilliant 20 year international career for the first French player to ever have his name etched on the Stanley Cup. Huet, who has played in the NHL, Swiss National League, German Eishockey Liga and French Ligue Magnus, suited up for France at thirteen World Championship tournaments and the 1998 and 2002 Olympics, first joining the senior Bleus in 1997. Huet was in goal for France’s first IHLC victory since 1994 back at the 2014 World Championship, the only IHLC win of his career.

Meunier, the captain of Les Bleus since 2005, will retire from the national team at the age of 38 after joining the senior team in 1999 after three years with the junior squad. Meunier, who has spent his career in the top leagues in France, Switzerland and Germany, played in eleven World Championship tournaments and the 2002 Olympics, and captained France’s most recent IHLC-winning squads in 2014 and 2017.

Green retires at the age of 36, after 18 years with the Lions, joining the senior team at the 1999 World Championship Qualifiers while still playing for the national under-18 team. Green was instrumental in returning Denmark to the Top Division for good in 2003, playing in fifteen World Championship tournaments, captaining the team since 2011. Green, who has played in the top leagues in Sweden, Germany and Denmark, was captain of the Danes for their second and third IHLC titles in their history, the most recent being just under a month ago in Switzerland.

We wish Cristobal, Laurent and Morten and their families the very best for their retirements from international hockey, and the things to come!

Photo Credit: Francis Larrede – Alchetron – Ekstrabladet – IIHF – HHOF – IOC