Axelsson, career Bruin, signs in Sweden

With all he gave to the B's over the years, I hope this news is more than a side note in the local media.

Its a shame that this guy didn't win a Selke. He surely deserved, at least, one for all of his defensive work.

axelsson will be missed greatly... may he have a grand career in sweden, he deserves it!

A "classic" Bruin.....? No hits? No fights? No goals? Come on...he was a classic Euro...If every NHL player played like Axey there would be no goals, no fights and no fans. The fact that he went back to Sweden tells me he was not wanted by any other team and was overrrated by Bruins fans which is typical.

Let me speak for all B's fans and say "THANK YOU, PJ". A true professional, a nice guy, and a heck of a penalty killer. Good luck in Sweden.

Best of luck PJ!

See you in Vancouver, P.J. Long live the Axe.

Thank you for all your hard work and dedication PJ! You will be missed especially on the penalty kill.

Thanks for all your hard work and dedication, P.J.! While I believe he was a little overhyped the past few years as a player who could do anything (missed plenty of golden opportunities, was the only regular with a +/- in the negative last year even though Bergeron's line covered the other team's top line) it says something about him to come play his heart out every night, through good times and plenty bad. One of my favorite lines of the past 15 years was the Rob DiMiao-Tim Taylor- Axelsson line of the mid 90's. They shut everyone down and could put the puck in the net. Thanks P.J.!

I for one will miss PJ. Thanks for being constant and always the best PK specialist we've had year in and your out. I remember your rookie year and all the years that followed. As a fan of the Bruins I could not have witness a truer Bruin. THANKS!

Farewell to Axe. His time in Boston is well-apreciated by most fans I would think. Of course the Bruins had to move on this season and I'm personally glad he will not be suiting up for a competing NHL team. Good luck to him in his future career back home in Sweden, his leadership and competitiveness will not be forgotten by loyal Bs fans.

Screw off nash, PJ is what every team wants, a good soldier who did everything asked of him. Thank you PJ

He will be greatly missed and his versatility and defensive prowess, especially on the PK, will be hard to replace.

Always loved watching you play P.J.; you will be missed. Good luck in going home!

nash, nailed it again. overrated by the media (dale and jack, brickley, kluzak) and the fans who love seeing open nets missed and early round playoff loses.

A very good Bruin, always giving 100%---Now he can walk away with a nice deal to play in his home country...Best of luck to PJ...

hahaha.... Nash.... you're a jackass. why do you even bother posting here? you hate everything. PJ was a great Bruin, and though his time passed him by here, he will still be missed.

Good player on the PK, but I wont miss him, since he has hands of stone.

gees! who pi$$ed in Nash's Cheerio's this morning! good luck, PJ.

THANK GOD

Good luck in Sweeden P.J. We'll miss you here

We will miss you PJ. The Bruins will not be the same without you. Best of luck to you and your family - and remember, you will always be a family member of the Boston Bruins.

PJ, thanks for the memories...I've watched you since I was 13 and will never forget the excitment you brought each and every game!

In last year's playoff series against Montreal all we heard from Habs fans was how Georges Laraque was going to do this, Georges Laraque was going to do that, Georges Laraque was going to pummel Lucic, Georges Laraque was going to put the B's in their place, etc, etc.

Q: Which Bruin player caught Georges Laraque against the boards and absolutely flattened him with a hit?

A: P.J. Axelsson.

I'll also never forget when time was running out on a Wives' Carnival a few years ago as my son waited in line to play air hockey against PJ. The hostess stepped in front of my son to close the line because it was way past time, but Axie waved her off and played one more game, with my kid. It's easy to say it was easy for him to do, but there's PLENTY of athletes that would have bailed, using the hostess as an excuse.

Quality player, class act.

Out team has lost a lot of heart and leadership over the past few days...

Thanks, P.J. I hope they bring him back for a ceremonial drop of the puck sometime this season, so the fans can give him a proper send-off.

Axelsson wasn't flashy and he wasn't a goal-scorer... He did his job day in and day out. You may not have noticed him out there BECAUSE....he did his job the right way. A guy that every team needs....ps- We havn't lost heart and leadership Jordan, I'll take Derek Morris over Aaron Ward any day AND Axy wasn't a leader, he was a quiet role player. You don't know what you're talkin about

PJ will be missed on one hand for that versatility, not missed for his inadequate offensive-skills, but as a man and as a teammate, I imagine a huge hole will need to be filled. This is a rare player to stick with a team for as long as he has. It's fun to see, and I hope he enjoys playing in his home country again. Thanks for the years of service, PJ!

Nice story Mickey

PJ was a class act.

Thanks for all you gave PJ! One of my favorite Bruins of all time. Nobody worked harder than him. Im glad he didnt sign with another team in the NHL because it would be hard to see him play against the Bs.

And all you idiots out there, if you knew more than a mosquitos brain sized amount about hockey, goals isnt everything in a player. He played a big part in preventing them, which some of our defensemen had a hard time doing. Im glad I see alot more appreciation on here for him though than I expected.

Good luck in Sweden Axe. You WILL be missed despite what some of these knuckleheads are saying. I'll be rootin for ya in the olympics

thank you Nash, dead on.

PJ was a true Bruin

Axelsson -- the hardest working man in show business. Thanks for everything, P.J. Nobody has a bigger heart.

Thanks PJ!! You NEVER took a shift off while wearing a B's sweater.
Its time to go home and enjoy the rest of your life. Good luck!

Hard work is the key to success in this life. The NHL roadside is littered with players who were skilled far beyond Axe, but never mastered the key to true NHL success, hard work. He knew he didn't have the scoring touch of others, but he found his niche, worked hard, and excelled at his job. He was an ultimate team guy who did whatever he was asked for the betterment of the team.

No, he wasn't the most skilled scorer, or fastest skater, or most physical, but he worked hard. But how he conducted his career as a Bruin is an example that many people could learn from. At the center of the core of the Bruins mythology is hard work. In modern memory this franchise is defined by the successes of the 70's, and those teams were epitomized by hard work. Of course the game has changed, emphasizing smarts and skill more than sheer brawn, but the intangibles of determination, hard work, never go out of style. Axe had those in spades. He was a Bruin, and I'm glad I got to watch him for the past 11 years.

Hopefully the Bruins realize they need to institute a Bruins Hall of Fame to honor guys like Axe, Ken Hodge, Don Sweeney, Cheevers, etc. who may not make the Hall of Fame or retired number cut, but are players who forge the identity of the Black and Gold.

Farewell Axe. You will be missed.

We'll miss you PJ!!

I agree with #18. Good soldier, smart, dedicated Bruin, but proved beyond any doubt that he was incapable of scoring in the NHL. With the salary cap, you really can't afford too many one-dimensional wingers.

Thank you P.J. for your loyalty to Boston, the memories and being one of the best defensive forwards in the NHL. You will be missed. Best of Luck!!!

He is welcome back home to Sweden and Gothenburg and Frölunda Indians.

Wow. What a disaster. The best Bruin in one of the worst eras of the organization and they walk away from one of the best defensive LWers in the league????? Total class, took paycuts, could have gone to other teams many times and now he can't be a part of what should be a legit Cup run. They should have done more to try to keep him. Not happy with these offseason moves so far. Steve Begin over Axelsson??? WOW.

Best of luck to you PJ. A long career of hard work an loyalty to your team.

Zeke

WHen does Jacobs hire a good GM? Steve Begin over PJ Axelsson? Really? Has Jacobs started calling the shots again?

Nash must be a Habs fans....there have been many "true" Bruins who didn't score alot, or fight but chipped in with timely hits and goals and PJ was one of those type of players. Did everything the (many) coaches ask him to do, PK,PP,4th line,3rd line,1st line, wing, center,right side, left side....Didn't matter he gave 100%,each shift,each game...a True Boston Bruin!!

Best of luck PJ, always a Bruin.

I knew this day would come, but it's still a sad day for Bruins fans. I'd hope for more acknowledgment for PJ's service to the Bruins than just comments from his agents.

"The NHL roadside is littered with players who were skilled far beyond Axe, but never mastered the key to true NHL success, hard work. "
Nailed it.

Nash, Convenient how you overlooked the penalty kill, but how important is that anyways?

Good luck and thanks PJ.

Can't believe you aren't going to be on the Bruins next year... good luck in Sweden. Thanks for being a true Bruin and always giving your best.

Glad he signed in Sweden and not with another NHL team... It just wouldn't be right for him to play for another team. It's a rare player that stays with one team his entire career.

While he may have lost a step the past couple of years, he will definitely be missed on the penalty kill. Always knows where the puck is - and is going.

Guys like Nash and those that agree with him are obviously bandwagon hockey fans. To simply knock a guy for not scoring enough is ridiculous and shows a lack of understanding of the game. It's not all about offense. Just ask San Jose...

For proof, keep an eye on the team PK% next season and compare it to last season's. No doubt they lose a few points. Hopefully, NESN will be on top of things enough to show that on occasion.

And look at the horrid list of coaches he suffered through! Wow...

"Pat Burns, Mike Keenan, Robbie Ftorek, Mike O'Connell, Mike Sullivan, Dave Lewis, and Claude Julien." What a train wreck. Only the book-ends of that list, Burns and Julien, can be considered serious head coaches. Keenan doesn't count because he's a head-case, not a head-coach. I say PJ did wonders working under those stiffs...

I'll miss your trendy hair, Axe! A great career Bruin, happy he gets to finish his hockey career at home. Not the flashiest guy, but an amazing defensive forward.

Nash, if he sucks so much then why does he have an Olympic gold medal? Big hits and scoring aren't the only things in hockey, there are other roles on a roster and PJ's is often overlooked. I'm glad you're not our GM!!

Mr. Axelsson can play for my Bruins any time. Good luck Per-Johan and we will miss you. You always gave 100% to the Bruins.

I do have one bone to pick with you....my one business trip to Gothenberg to visit a certain Swedish car company for 2 weeks. It was during the lockout. I bought a 230 Kronor (ok just 28 bucks) ticket to the Scandivium to see you play....and you got FRIGGIN suspended for 3 games befor I got there. Oh I got to see this guy Lindquist get a shutout so it wasnt that bad......and WTF is this thing with the no ice in a Coca-Cola? Happy Trails......

Medford Mickey hit the nail on the head in describing PJ. I met PJ a couple of times through a friend and one day I was in a grocery store in Danvers and I heard my name yelled and it was PJ who came over to me and started talking to me like he was the fan and I was the Bruin. Just a true, regular down to earth guy and his wife Siw is nicer than he is. Thanks for 11 years and best of luck in Sweden.

PJ is indeed a 'classic' bruin, in the sense that he gave everything he had every time he stepped on the ice. nash has the bruins mixed up with the flyers, THEIR classic players are the fighters (and dirty hitters).

Bruin has always meant hard hat, lunchpail guys who while not flashy gives their all for the team... the description of PJ to a tee.

PJ we will miss you, thanks for your service to this club and for being a class act, unlike nash has been classless since he has been here.

What happened to Dupont's story that PJ was about to sign with another NHL club? As usual Dupont's reporting is inaccurate, nothing but a rumor monger!

Good Luck PJ and thanks! Meet him at a WBZ meet and greet and to be honest he was extremely funny and down to earth. His play although limited in the past couple of years was the of the typical play we would see from him.. He was clearly the gumby of the league as he harldy ever got hurt, but saw many pucks and many sets of boards. Survived many different coaches and managements and was willing to do what he needed to win. The day I say him we was making fun of Knuble and the size of his nose.. Seemed to be joking around will all of the players and will be missed. Good luck...

HE SUKS ! WHAT THE HELL DID HE EVER DO? I'M GLAD HE'S GONE HE DID NOTHING TO HELP THE TEAM WIN, HE WAS INVISIBLE.

Corpsie said it. There were tons of players in the Black and Gold with more talent - we've seen the Khristichs, the Kvartalnovs, the Ruczickas come and go in his time - but few with more heart. Axe was the last link with the Bourque era, and I hope we see his like again: a hardworking guy who never took a shift off and contributed in the goals the other guys didn't score while he was on the ice, not in what he scored himself. No TRUE Bruins fan would have anything bad to say about P.J. Axelsson, and today is Frolunda's gain and Boston's loss. Thank you, P.J., for wearing the colors.

Can't fault the guy for playing hard every shift of every game. Good on the PK and as a defensive forward, doing a lot of things that don't show up in the scoresheet. Thanks PJ.

First off, yes I AM a Bruins fan, but 2nd.......C'monnnn People! The guy was a 4th line player at best. Good at the PK and nothing else. Take a closer look at his stats. in 11 seasons he NEVER scored 20 goals.The closest he came was 17 in 02-03, and only scored 10 or more 4 times!
All this talk of Selke awards. Pleasssse! His career +/- is -26 !!!!! He was in them minus in 3 of his first 4 seasons and 6 of 11, The seasons he did make it into the plus side he was damn close too being in the minus, with +1, +2 +6 seasons!
Good riddance! He brought nothing to the table but soft European style hockey. Sorry, not interested!

He may not get his # retired or make the HOF, but the least the B's could do is have a PJ Appreciation Night. Give him a nice sendoff and show him the respect he deserves.

hey pete - stop. you have no clue and should stick to the Sox and Pats like all the other bandwagon fans.

"If every NHL player played like Axey..." Think about that for a moment, in reference to ANY player. PJ made PJ's contribution, not somebody else's. Clearly, several generations of Bruins' coaches and managers thought he contributed significantly, or he wouldn't have made the squad year after year. The Bruins will miss him, but they'll get on with their future. PJ has my thanks and best wishes for HIS future back home.

There will be alot of players on opposing teams happy to see him go. He could shut down any player at any time. I am glad to see him leave the Bruins ...he deserves better. Best of luck P.J.

Do all you people posting here actually think PJ will read these? He's a class act and a hard worker, but in terms of production, very replaceable. Stop treating this like a eulogy; the rest of his career will be longer and better for his having returned home. Here he's a fourth liner on a series of one year deals. There he's a 2nd liner with a long contract. He made the right decision for himself and his family, and I wish him the best.

PJ: Thanks for your years of service to our franchise.

kmo, +/- is a useless stat. All it is is when you're on the ice for a goal for or against. PJ's main role on the B's was to shutdown the other teams top scorers. Guys like Ovechkin, Malkin, Kovalchuk. He was amazing at his role, but you can't win every time. And when you play primarily on the 3rd line, you're not going to get a lot of offensive opportunities.

Can't believe the LACK of class and knowledge of some posters here bashing Axe.

Axelsson is a class act who worked hard with each shift and on the practice rink. He deserves better than just a "thank you", but that is the hard reality of professional sports. He added much to the Bruins, and I for one will miss him.

PJ, thanks for the memories & the effort over the past 14 years. He was one of the best defensive forwards of all time & should have won a Selke. Maybe they'll play Abba one more time in the dressing room for him.

That was a great story, Mickey. :)

Best of luck to PJ and his family back home.

PJ,

You will be missed. Class, an incredible work ethic, great hockey sense and loyalty. Nothing else matters.

"Fourth line player at best"??? Watch hockey much? HE was arguably the BEST 3rd line LW in the NHL for almost TEN YEARS. My good god. Jere Lethinonen and he were as good as any C and LWer in that capacity, just on different teams. No one played smarter, more consistently or was NEVER out of position like he was. What he did goes unnoticed like a Troy Brown type. I question how many people here know the game of hockey. STUNNING. Watch their PK% DROP and watch their forwards struggle on the PK, up front. VERY underrated player in Boston for years.

Rich & Pete are you two for real?
First, Rich, +/- is a useless stat? "All it is is when you're on the ice for a goal for or against. PJ's main role on the B's was to shutdown the other teams top scorers." Believe me, I KNOW what it is, so follow along closely, if your JOB is to SHUT DOWN the opposing teams best players and you end up with a MINUS rating, then you didn't do your job very well.
Pete, you make me Laugh out Loud. You're too funny. "The BEST 3rd line LW in the NHL for 10 years!?". HAAA HAAAAA HAAAA! Give me Brian Rolston back in a heartbeat and that's just 1 name that is better than your boy PJ! I hope you two get a good deal on the Axelsson jerseys on the discount rack. Maybe the Bruins Pro shop will have a 2 for 1 special!

kmo, have you ever watched PJ play? I'm starting to doubt you have. He did his job shutting down top offensive guys night in/night out very well. He's great defensively and did his job like a trooper.

But nah, I'm sure you're right. Never mind the Bruins front office who made sure to keep him a Bruin for 11 seasons. They must all be fools!

Thanks PJ for your 11 years and almost 800 games with the Bruins. You gave your heart and soul to this team. You played with intensity night in and night out. You played this game the way it's supposed to be played. The nay sayers on this blog are quick to point out that you weren't a goal scorer or had a bad plus minus rating but I would point out that those are only two of the many aspects of the game of hockey. Your contributions to the Bruins will never be forgotten, especially by the purists. Good Luck in Sweden

he wasn't 'classic bruins'. he was good player who found ways to help the B's over the years. he didnt hurt the B's but he didnt put any fans in the seats either. good luck in euro-land.

Nash..... I couldn't agree more!

A Bruin through and through. Always worked his tail off, and did the "little" things that the average fan never noticed, but that help teams win. And off the ice, a class act through and through. Thanks for wearing the spoked B with pride, PJ.

Thanks for the memories, P.J.! It was nice to have had a player who started his NHL career and played 11 years with the B's. Nowadays, you don't get that much in the NHL - or pro sports for that matter. You could still wear your "Axelson" shirt ( I've seen a few around), long after you had to put away your "Thornton" shirt (I guess some must thank Shawn for the fashion respite).
A little P.J. Haiku -

P.J. pokes
The puck away and.....
Shoots it wide.

Loved ya Axy! True Bruin through and through, very underrated and a great guy. You will be missed!

Very glad he's not hanging up his skates and is able to finish the remainder of his career if not in a Bruin jersey or in the NHL then in his native land. He patrolled his wing reliably and dependably year after year but now with him gone, who on the roster assumes his role of, for lack of a better expression, "defensive specialist?"

Good Luck PJ....Your a true Bruin and you will be missed

Axe,

Thanks for your time here. Your were a true Bruin and will be missed. Best of luck as you go home to Sweden to finish your carreer.

I think PJ will go down as one of the classiest and most honestly hard-working Bruins ever. I agree that he should have won a Selke! We'll miss his stick on the PK - always in the right place! It's very sad to see him go, but he goes with the best wishes of us Boston faithful! Go get 'em in Sweden, Axe! And best of luck with the new baby!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVK4Y6eLpX0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0NILvOAUjM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq84Twyqspk

Going to miss you PJ... thanks for the years of service and you're great versatility

kmo25001, have you even seen a bruins game? Rolston was a 3rd line CENTER when he was a kid. He was 1/2 line CENTER everywhere else. I used to think that PJ bashers were just people that wanted more from him. Reading this I can see that every PJ basher has no knowledge of hockey. He still is my favorite bruin because of his skill and smarts. Could he have scored more goals if he had a shorter stick or bigger blade? Sure, but that's like complaining a pitcher doesn't have an above average slugging percentage. PJ was never hired to be a Jason Allison or Marc Savard. He played the 1st line for Sweden though. Check out how they did.

I just want to say that I've been posting on this site for a long time and using my name "Rich." Now someone else is posting with the same name. That's just great.

All of you clowns bashing this guy are clearly the types that still wear your varsity letter jackets from your glory days in high school or think that hockey should be played like a WWE match....

Every hockey team is a collection of role players and this guy played his role every night with out taking a shift off for over a decade for a single team, that alone is great accomplishment

And please spare us the " soft European" comments...its gotten old

We'll miss you in the North End, were you lived and were always friendly. Good Luck PJ~!!!

KMO, also..."His career +/- is -26 !!!!! "
10-11 years on the first penalty kill unit and has a CAREER -26...you made your own case against yourself. Exclamation points indeed!!!!!

man im goin to miss axelsson. too bad providence didnt offer him a contract.

Best defensive forward ever to put on the spoked B...

Ever.

Good luck to the Bruins now that P.J.'s gone. Who's gonna kill all the penalties Begin gets? Biggest mistake by the Bruins letting this guy go. Good luck Axelsson!!

FYI seobrien... Penalty killing has nothing to do with +/ - It’s based only on even strength goals ... alone - no power play either!

PJ was a great Bruin for the role he was here for, help shut down the other top lines. Do his job on the penalty kill, fill in were ever he was needed. We will miss you. Good luck in Sweden! Tack så mycket!

If they had a STAT for the player that fell down the most PJ would have been at the top of the chart.
Bye bye PJ. Bring up Sobotka...

No Roy,

If they had a stat for the player that fell the most it would be Kessel.

The fact that he had a nearly level +/- given that he was a PK guy is significant because when not on the PK he was on the ice against the opposition's first line. So no, +/- is not relevent to PK work, but it really is when you understand what PK stands for.

W00t!

I am totally psyched! I get to see him in Gothenburg this season! Go Indians!

If PJ could put the puck in the net like Kessel I wouldn't be making fun of him.
Bye PJ!!!

And, in case anyone doubts...here's a pic.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/35832524@N05/3771058666

PJ didn't score a lot of goals but he prevented the other team from scoring during penalty kills. That's just as important as putting the puck in the net. People who think the most important player is the one that scores the most goals doesn't know hockey. PERIOD.

If Kessel didn't fall on his a$$ so much maybe he'd get that 5mil he wanted.

No one would doubt you, Mickey. :)

Thanks, Krispy. I also have a pic of PJ scoring against my kid, but I didn't post that, to avoid all the "PJ finally scores a goal" jokes.

Which I made at the time myself.

PJ was a great Hockey Player Maybe he didn't score goals or get in fights but that's not what his role on the team was. He was a defensive player 1st. Always knew where the puck would be. My fondest memory was a great PJ goals about 6-7 years ago when he made a beautiful pass to his wing and passed back to him as he flipped it past the goalie. He had a scorers touch when he needed it. Thank You PJ for your dedication to the Bruins. You will be missed.

In Sweden we're happy to be able to watch PJ play again, but we think the Bruins management made a misstake.