Justin Abdelkader (; born February 25, 1987) is an
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
left winger for
EV Zug
EV Zug is a professional men's ice hockey team from Zug, Switzerland. It is a member of the National League and plays its home games at the Bossard Arena.
History
EV Zug won its first championship in the 1997–98 season, and the second one in t ...
of the
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
(NL). He was drafted 42nd overall by the
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
in the
2005 NHL Entry Draft
The 2005 NHL Entry Draft was the 43rd NHL Entry Draft. Originally scheduled to be held on June 25, the 2004–05 NHL lockout led to the draft being postponed to July 30.
Special procedures were required to determine the order of picks, because ...
. He previously played for
HC Lugano
Hockey Club Lugano, often abbreviated to HC Lugano or HCL, is a professional ice hockey club based in Lugano, Switzerland. The team competes in the National League (NL) and has won seven Swiss championships.
History
The founding of HC Lugano took ...
of the NL.
Playing career
Amateur
Abdelkader played for the
junior ice hockey
Junior hockey is a level of competitive ice hockey generally for players between 16 and 21 years of age. Junior hockey leagues in the United States and Canada are considered amateur (with some exceptions) and operate within regions of each cou ...
Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders are a Tier I junior ice hockey team playing in the United States Hockey League (USHL). Before moving to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 1999, the team was based in Mason City, where they were known as the North Iowa Huskies ...
of the
United States Hockey League
The United States Hockey League (USHL) is the top junior ice hockey league sanctioned by USA Hockey. The league consists of 16 active teams located in the midwestern United States, for players between the ages of 16 and 21. The USHL is strictly ...
during his senior year of high school, scoring 27 goals and 52 points and helping the team win the 2004–05
Clark Cup The United States Hockey League began in 1961 as a semi-professional ice hockey league. Starting with the 1979–80 season, the league became a strictly Amateur league, and began awarding its champion the Clark Cup Trophy. All champions of the USHL ...
Championship. He then began a three-year stint playing
college ice hockey
College ice hockey is played principally in the United States and Canada, though leagues exist outside North America.
In the United States, competitive "college hockey" refers to ice hockey played between colleges and universities within the g ...
for the
Michigan State Spartans men's ice hockey
The Michigan State Spartans men's ice hockey team is the college ice hockey team that represents Michigan State University (MSU). The team plays at the Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing, Michigan, on the MSU campus. The current head coach is Adam Ni ...
team of what was then the
Central Collegiate Hockey Association
The Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) is a college athletic conference that participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference. The current CCHA began play in the 2021–22 season; a previous incarnation, which the curre ...
.
On April 7, 2007, Abdelkader scored the game-winning goal in the 2007 NCAA Championship Game against
Boston College
Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classifie ...
, securing the NCAA Division 1 National Championship for
Michigan State University
Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the fi ...
and earning him the
Frozen Four
The annual NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament is a college ice hockey tournament held in the United States by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to determine the top men's
team in Division I. Like other Division I cham ...
Most Outstanding Player. He scored the latest game-winning regulation goal ever scored in an NCAA Frozen Four championship game when he scored with just 18.9 seconds left. A record which lasted until the 2014 Frozen Four when Minnesota scored with 0.6 left to eliminate North Dakota.
Professional
Detroit Red Wings
Abdelkader was drafted 42nd overall by the
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
in the
2005 NHL Entry Draft
The 2005 NHL Entry Draft was the 43rd NHL Entry Draft. Originally scheduled to be held on June 25, the 2004–05 NHL lockout led to the draft being postponed to July 30.
Special procedures were required to determine the order of picks, because ...
.
On April 3, 2008, Abdelkader signed a one-game amateur tryout with the
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
of the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
and was to play that night against the
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets (often simply referred to as the Jackets) are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, ...
. In doing so, he forfeited his college eligibility for the 2008–09 season. The following day, Abdelkader signed a three-year contract with the
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
. He played one more game that season for Detroit. In June when Detroit won the Stanley Cup Abdelkader was part of the team celebration. He was included on the team picture, and awarded a Stanley Cup Ring. Abdelkader did not play enough games to qualify for engravement on the Stanley Cup in 2008.
Abdelkader scored 24 goals for the
Grand Rapids Griffins
The Grand Rapids Griffins are a professional ice hockey, hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and play home games at Van Andel Arena. They are the AHL affiliate to the Detroit Red Wings of the National H ...
during the 2008–09 season and was one of the team's best offensive players in the playoffs.
On May 8, 2009, Abdelkader was brought up to the Red Wings as the replacement for
Tomáš Kopecký
Tomáš Kopecký (; born 5 February 1982) is a Slovak former professional ice hockey centre. He played in the National Hockey League with the Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks and Florida Panthers.
He is a two-time Stanley Cup champion, hav ...
, who sat out Game 5 of the Western Conference semi-finals series against the
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California. The Ducks compete in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division, and play their home games at Honda Center.
...
. Coach
Mike Babcock sent Abdelkader to replace Kopecký "because he'll run over people. We expect him to play hard like
Darren Helm
Darren Helm (born January 21, 1987) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League (NHL). He previously played for the Detroit Red Wings. Helm is a two-time Stanley Cup champion, winning with ...
. He's on the forecheck and he's a physical guy." During the game Abdelkader scored his first career point on an assist to
Johan Franzén
Johan Marcus Gunnar Franzén (; born 23 December 1979) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey winger who played 11 seasons for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL). His career ended early in the 2015-16 season due to ...
.
Abdelkader scored his first career NHL goal on May 30, 2009, in Game 1 of the
2009 Stanley Cup Finals
The 2009 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 2008–09 season, and the culmination of the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested between the Eastern Conference champion Pittsburgh Penguins ...
against the
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...
. After shooting the puck, he grabbed the rebound out of the air with his glove, dropped the puck, and beat
Marc-André Fleury high stick side. His second goal came nearly 24 hours later in the second game of the series, off of what commentators described as a "knuckle puck." He carried the puck into the forward zone alone against three Penguins defenders and fired a slapshot past Fleury. He became the first rookie to score a goal in consecutive finals games since
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
's
Dino Ciccarelli
Dino Ciccarelli (born February 8, 1960) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League, primarily with the Minnesota North Stars, but also notably with the Detroit Red Wings, with whom he ha ...
did it in
1981
Events January
* January 1
** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union.
** Palau becomes a self-governing territory.
* January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...
.
During the
2009–10 season Abdelkader played 50 games for the Red Wings scoring three goals, while adding three assists. Abdelkader was then re-signed by the Red Wings on a two-year extension worth $1.575 million.
The
2010–11 season was Abdelkader's first full NHL season as a Red Wing. Abdelkader played in 74 games, scoring seven goals, and adding 12 assists.
During the
2011–12 season, he missed only one game, and finished the season with eight goals and 14 assists in 81 games.
On September 14, 2012, Abdelkader signed a four-year, $7.2 million contract with the Detroit Red Wings.
On October 9, 2015, Abdelkader became the second player in Red Wings history to score a
hat trick
A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...
in a season opening home game, following
Adam Brown in
1945
1945 marked the end of World War II and the fall of Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan. It is also the only year in which nuclear weapons have been used in combat.
Events
Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix.
Januar ...
. Abdelkader was named the
First Star of the Week for the week ending October 12, 2015. He shared the league lead with four goals and tied for second in the NHL with five points. On November 12, 2015, the Red Wings signed Abdelkader to a seven-year, $29.75 million contract extension.
On October 6, 2020, Abdelkader was placed on waivers by the Red Wings for the purpose of buying out the remaining three years of his contract.
EV Zug and HC Lugano
On February 3, 2021, Abdelkader joined
EV Zug
EV Zug is a professional men's ice hockey team from Zug, Switzerland. It is a member of the National League and plays its home games at the Bossard Arena.
History
EV Zug won its first championship in the 1997–98 season, and the second one in t ...
of the
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
(NL) for the remainder of the
2020–21 season. He made his debut on February 23, 2021, in a 4–3 overtime victory against
Genève-Servette HC
The Genève-Servette HC (also called Servette or GSHC) is a professional ice hockey club based in Geneva, Switzerland and competing in the National League (NL), the top tier of the Swiss hockey league system. The team plays their home games at the ...
at the
Patinoire des Vernets. Abdelkader went on to win the 2021 NL title with EV Zug, recording six goals and three assists in 13 playoffs games.
On February 24, 2022, Abdelkader joined
HC Lugano
Hockey Club Lugano, often abbreviated to HC Lugano or HCL, is a professional ice hockey club based in Lugano, Switzerland. The team competes in the National League (NL) and has won seven Swiss championships.
History
The founding of HC Lugano took ...
of the NL for the remainder of the
2021–22 season. He recorded one assist in six regular season games. During the playoffs he recorded two goals and three assists in six games.
On December 20, 2022, Abdelkader signed with EV Zug for the remainder of the 2022–23 season.
International play
Abdelkader was selected to play for the
United States national junior team at the
2007 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 2007 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships (''2007 WJHC'') was the 2007 edition of the Ice Hockey World Junior Championship and was held in Mora and Leksand, Sweden between December 26, 2006 and January 5, 2007. The venues were FM Mattsson Ar ...
in Sweden.
Abdelkader was selected to play for the
United States national team
The United States national team or Team USA may refer to any of a number of sports team representing the United States in international competitions.
Olympic teams
Additionally, these teams may compete in other international competitions such as ...
at the
2014 IIHF World Championship
The 2014 IIHF World Championship was hosted by Belarus in its capital, Minsk, held from 9–25 May 2014. Sixteen national teams were competing in two venues, the Minsk-Arena and Chizhovka-Arena. It was the first time Belarus hosted the tourname ...
, where he was named team captain. Abdelkader was suspended for one-game at the World Championships for a knee-to-knee hit infraction on
Konstantin Pushkaryov
Konstantin Vladimirovich Pushkaryov (russian: Константин Владимирович Пушкарёв; born February 12, 1985) is a Kazakh professional ice hockey winger who is currently playing with HK Kurbads of the Latvian Hockey Lea ...
in a game against Kazakhstan. Following Abdelkader's one-game suspension, he returned for the game against Germany, where he scored two goals, including the game-winning goal, in the final group stage game to lead the United States to the quarterfinals. During the United States' quarterfinal game against the Czech Republic, Abdelkader was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct for charging
Vladimír Sobotka
Vladimír Sobotka (; born 2 July 1987) is a Czech professional ice hockey centre currently playing for Sparta Praha of the Czech Extraliga (ELH). Sobotka has previously played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Boston Bruins, St. Loui ...
in the second period. In July 2014, the IIHF announced that he would be suspended for three-games at the
2015 IIHF World Championship
The 2015 IIHF World Championship was the 79th event hosted by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), held from 1–17 May 2015 in Prague and Ostrava, Czech Republic. It broke the historical attendance record of IIHF World Championships ...
for the hit on Sobotka (Adbelkader is only required to serve the suspension if he appears at that tournament). Abdelkader finished the tournament with three goals and one assists in seven games.
Abdelkader represented the United States at the
2016 World Cup of Hockey
The 2016 World Cup of Hockey (abbreviated WCH2016) was an international ice hockey tournament. It was the third installment of the National Hockey League (NHL)-sanctioned competition, 12 years after the second World Cup of Hockey in 2004. It was ...
, where he recorded one goal in three games.
Personal life
Abdelkader is the son of Joseph and Sheryl Abdelkader.
The surname Abdelkader is
Arab
The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...
ic. His paternal grandfather, Yusuf Abdul Qadir anglicized to Joseph Abdelkader, emigrated
from Jordan at the age of 19 to
Muskegon, Michigan and married a Polish woman named Zuzanna (Susie).
He went to Churchill Elementary School, Mona Shores Middle School and graduated from
Mona Shores High School
Mona Shores High School is a public high school in Norton Shores, Michigan, United States. It serves grades 9-12 for Mona Shores Public Schools.
History
Mona Shores Public Schools was formed by merging five K-8 school districts into one K-12 distr ...
in 2005. He was named to the all-state hockey team and awarded the Mr. Hockey award, given to the top high school ice hockey player in Michigan. During his senior year, he played for the
Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders are a Tier I junior ice hockey team playing in the United States Hockey League (USHL). Before moving to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 1999, the team was based in Mason City, where they were known as the North Iowa Huskies ...
of the
USHL.
Abdelkader received his
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
in General Management from Michigan State's
Eli Broad College of Business
The Eli Broad College of Business is the business college at Michigan State University. The college has programs in accounting, finance, human resource management, management, marketing, supply chain management, and hospitality business, ...
on December 18, 2015.
Abdelkader proposed to his longtime girlfriend Julie Leshkevich in November 2016 at the
Joe Louis Arena
Joe Louis Arena was an arena in Downtown Detroit. Completed in 1979 at a cost of US$57 million as a replacement for Olympia Stadium, it sat adjacent to TCF Center, Cobo Center on the bank of the Detroit River and was accessible by the Joe Lou ...
. The couple married on July 21, 2017, and gave birth to their first child in September 2018.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
International
Awards and honors
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abdelkader, Justin
1987 births
American men's ice hockey centers
American people of Jordanian descent
American people of Polish descent
Cedar Rapids RoughRiders players
Detroit Red Wings draft picks
Detroit Red Wings players
EV Zug players
Eli Broad College of Business alumni
Grand Rapids Griffins players
HC Lugano players
Ice hockey players from Michigan
Living people
Michigan State Spartans men's ice hockey players
People from Muskegon, Michigan
Sportspeople from Muskegon, Michigan
Ice hockey players at the 2022 Winter Olympics
Olympic ice hockey players of the United States