Colorado Springs, Colorado - The United States women's hockey team has an open roster spot after star blueliner Kacey Bellamy has chosen to hang up her skates, sooner than most expected.

Kacey Bellamy (34) has decided to step away from international competition, according to a statement released by USA Hockey. Her decision comes just as the US women's national team were set to make a run at another title at the 2021 IIHF Women's World Championships in Nova Scotia.

Throughout her career, Bellamy played in a total of nine of those World Championships, taking home gold in eight of those tournaments, apart from a silver medal in 2012. However, this year's event was rescheduled from May to this summer, due to Covid-related safety concerns. That change was admittedly instrumental in Bellamy making her choice to step away.

Despite having played for Team USA for 15 years, she leaves the game at a time when perhaps she still could've made a considerable contribution to the team's ongoing success.

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"It wasn't fair to keep going if my heart wasn't completely in it... As a professional female athlete, your priorities change. I was ready to move on to the next chapter of my life," she explained in an interview with ESPN.

Kacey was also projected to join Team USA in the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics in February of next year. She won Gold with the national team back in 2018, at the Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

"While we’ll miss seeing her on the ice, we look forward to her continued involvement in hockey, and wish her nothing but the best in the future," said USA Hockey Executive Director Pat Kelleher in the official statement.

Throughout her career representing the US, Bellamy also earned seven Four Nations championships and two silver medals in the Olympics.