Lycklig 40th födelsedag, Pebben!

It's Per-Johan Axelsson's 40th Birthday, and we're celebrating at Stanley Cup of Chowder.

If you're not up to speed, Per-Johan Axelsson comes in at number 10 on the all-time list of games played as a Boston Bruin. He was (unfortunately) not a part of our cup team, but his tutelage helped bring up some of the prospects that became important members of that team. His last season, 2008-09, saw the Bruins come within a point of winning the President's Trophy before getting bounced by those jerks in Carolina. After the Bruins declined to sign him for a million dollars, he decided against signing with some other NHL team and returned to Sweden to play for the team he won a championship with in Sweden during the lockout, Frolunda. Time caught up to him, however, and he has since retired from playing altogether. Here he is, scoring his second-ever NHL goal off a rebound, wearing 57:

He looks so young there, my goodness. Here's a game from his Olympic run where he scored 3 goals en route to Olympic Gold. He scores the second Swedish goal, at about 0:35 (wearing #22)

Last year, he joined the Bruins as a European Amateur scout, and it's already started to pay off, as we have David Pastrnak skating with David Krejci (er, Ryan Spooner) and Milan Lucic on the top line now.

So, from us to you:

Lycklig 40th födelsedag, Pebben!