RED WINGS NAME JUSTIN ABDELKADER ALTERNATE CAPTAIN

Detroit Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill announced today that forward Justin Abdelkader has been named an alternate captain of the Red Wings, alongside fellow alternate captain Niklas Kronwall and captain Henrik Zetterberg.

Abdelkader, 29, has skated in 480 games with the Red Wings since the 2007-08 season, totaling 174 points (80-94-174) and posting the best two offensive seasons of his career in 2014-15 (23-21-44 in 71 games) and 2015-16 (19-23-42 in 82 games). The Muskegon, Mich., native has also appeared in 64 postseason games over the same span, recording 13 points (6-7-13). Abdelkader has represented the United States at several international events, including the recent 2016 World Cup of Hockey in Toronto and the 2014 IIHF World Championship, where he served as team captain.

Abdelkader also spent two seasons with the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins from 2008-10, picking up 76 points (35-41-76) in 109 games. Prior to turning pro, Abdelkader spent three seasons at Michigan State University and logged 95 points (44-51-95) in 124 games from 2005-08. He helped the Spartans to a 2007 NCAA National Championship, scoring the game-winning goal with seconds to play in regulation and earning honors as the Frozen Four Most Valuable Player. He also won a championship in the United States Hockey League with the Cedar Rapids Roughriders in 2005, and previous to that was named Michigan’s Mr. Hockey as the top high school player in the state for Muskegon Mona Shores in 2004.

Justin Abdelkader, Left Wing
Born Feb 25 1987 — Muskegon, MI
Height 6.02 — Weight 218 — Shoots L
Selected by Detroit Red Wings round 2 #42 overall 2005 NHL Entry Draft

Photo by Tim Jarrold – In Play! magazine

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