Pelle Eklund
A swift and elegant Swedish winger whose slick playmaking and Olympic bronze medal made him a fan favorite on two continents.
Born 1963 (age 63)·Swedish ice hockey player·Birthday: March 22·Baby Boomers
Biography
Pelle Eklund played hockey with a silken touch that seemed distinctly European in an NHL era still dominated by North American grit. The Stockholm native announced his talent on the world stage, helping Sweden to a bronze medal at the 1984 Sarajevo Olympics. His deft puck-handling and vision soon earned him a move to the Philadelphia Flyers, where for nine seasons he was a model of consistent, intelligent play. Eklund wasn't a bruiser; he was a creator, often setting up teammates like Tim Kerr with precise passes. His career was split between the NHL and the Swedish Elitserien, where he played for AIK and Leksands, and he proudly contributed to Sweden's gold medal at the 1991 World Championships. While his name isn't among the league's all-time scoring leaders, Eklund is remembered as a player of high skill and higher hockey IQ, a pioneer who helped pave the way for the influx of Swedish finesse players that followed.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Pelle was born in 1963, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Pelle Was Born
The biggest hits of 1963
#1 Movie
Cleopatra
Best Picture
Tom Jones
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Pelle's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1963Born
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1968Started school
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1976Became a teenager
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Could drive
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1981Could vote
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Turned 21
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1993Turned 30
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 40
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 50
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 60
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 63 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won a bronze medal with the Swedish national team at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo.
- Captured a gold medal at the 1991 IIHF World Championship as part of the Swedish team.
- Played nine seasons in the NHL, primarily with the Philadelphia Flyers, amassing over 400 points.
- Enjoyed a long professional career spanning nearly two decades, playing at a high level in both North America and Sweden.
Did You Know?
He was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 8th round (161st overall) of the 1983 NHL Entry Draft, a late-round steal.
His son, Lars Eklund, also became a professional hockey player in Sweden.
Eklund returned to play in Sweden for AIK, the club where he began his senior career, after his time in the NHL.
“You see the play before it happens; you just have to get the puck there.”
