Justin Abdelkader, who grew up in Muskegon, played 13 seasons and won a Stanley Cup as a left winger with the Detroit Red Wings.
(Photo courtesy of MSU Athletic Communications)
By Tom Kendra
Justin Abdelkader now spends a large percentage of his time in an “Uber Dad” role, driving and also coaching his two young sons at hockey tournaments around the state.
And when he’s home?
This time of year, he’s usually in the backyard of the family’s suburban Detroit home with a hose in his hand, working on the outdoor skating rink.
“Oh absolutely, I have come full circle,” Justin said with a laugh.
He said it seems like yesterday that he was the little kid playing hockey on a makeshift rink in Muskegon, in his buddy Eric Ruthkoski or Jake Polanyi’s backyard - getting ready for one of their dads to drive them to a tournament in Grand Rapids or, often, Big Boy Arena in Fraser - the exact same rink where his boys, Jaxon, 6, and Maddox, 4, recently had a tournament.
“That’s where I fell in love with hockey - playing at Muskrat Lake (in North Muskegon) or one of those backyard rinks,” explained Abdelkader. “Hockey has given so much to me. I still love being around the game and coaching my kids is a way of giving something back.”
It may seem like yesterday, but it’s actually been almost 30 years since Abdelkader was playing for the Muskegon Chiefs - the first step on a hockey odyssey which can only be described as a dream come true.
Abdelkader, who will turn 38 on Feb. 25, defied the tremendous odds and made it all the way to the NHL, where he played 13 seasons and won a Stanley Cup as a left winger with his home-state Detroit Red Wings.
He will be recognized for his incredible hockey career - which, by the way, includes a college national championshp at Michigan State and the privilege of playing for his country at the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing, China - when he is inducted into the Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame on June 14 in a ceremony at the Fricano Event Center on Muskegon Lake.
“I’ve always been proud to tell people that I grew up in Muskegon,” said Abdelkader, who has a summer home in Norton Shores. “It’s an honor to be joining all the other great names. A lot of them I looked up to and grew up watching.”
Joining Abdelkader in the MASHF’s “Class of 2025” are Bob Heethius, Frank Lewandoski, the national championship Muskegon Community College softball team of 2010 and Distinguished Service Award winner Al Nichols. Two Student-Athlete honorees will be announced in May.
Tickets for the induction banquet will go on sale in the spring on the Hall’s website, www.mashf.com.
Abdelkader played his last competitive hockey game in Switzerland in March of 2023, and since that time has dealt with the often difficult transition for professional athletes back to normal life by going in “100 percent” to his new job as a father.
Abdelkader and his wife, Julie, are expecting their third child in February (a girl).
His role as dad hasn’t left a whole lot of time for him to reflect on his hockey career but, when he does, he will look back on a journey which featured championships at almost every stop.
The one notable exception was at Mona Shores, where he led the Sailors to the semifinals as a sophomore and the finals as a junior (when he was named “Mr. Hockey” in Michigan), losing each year to Trenton.
Abdelkader won a USHL championship in Cedar Rapids (Iowa), an NCAA title at Michigan State, a Stanley Cup with the Red Wings and a bronze medal for Team USA at the 2021 World Championships.
He developed a reputation as a clutch goal-scorer, most notably when he scored with 18.9 seconds remaining to lift MSU over Boston College for the 2007 NCAA title.
His combination of tremendous size (6-2, 220) and knack for depositing pucks in the back of the net helped him flourish in the NHL. He played in 739 games for the Red Wings, including five years as an alternate captain, and finished with 106 goals and 252 points in Detroit.
His parents, Joe and Sheryl Abdelkader of Norton Shores, use the word “surreal” to describe their son’s career.
“I remember in Justin’s first year with the Red Wings, I was talking to Chris Osgood’s dad,” recalled Joe Abdelkader, who was a longtime teacher and coach at Reeths-Puffer. “He told me: ‘Just remember, it goes fast.’ Boy, was he right.”
Abdelkader finished his career by playing three years on the larger ice surface in Switzerland, where - surprise, surprise - he led his EV Zug team to the league championship. He said living and playing in Switzerland was an experience that both he and Julie truly loved.
Unfortunately, his final two years in Europe were marred by injuries - a broken hand in 2021 and then a broken ankle in 2022.
Those injuries got him thinking about retirement and his age (mid-30s) and his two boys advancing age (starting youth hockey), led him to end his competitive playing days. He stays close to both the MSU and Red Wings’ organizations, and he could see a day where he becomes more involved as a coach, scout or in player development.
For the moment, he’s loving life as a hockey dad.
“I probably could have squeezed out another year or two playing in Europe,” said Abdelkader, who noted that he had offers in Germany and other countries. “But my boys are only going to be this age for so long. I know how fast it goes.
“Being with them is how I want to be spending my time right now.”
Justin Abdelkader now spends a large percentage of his time in an “Uber Dad” role, driving and also coaching his two young sons at hockey tournaments around the state.
And when he’s home?
This time of year, he’s usually in the backyard of the family’s suburban Detroit home with a hose in his hand, working on the outdoor skating rink.
“Oh absolutely, I have come full circle,” Justin said with a laugh.
He said it seems like yesterday that he was the little kid playing hockey on a makeshift rink in Muskegon, in his buddy Eric Ruthkoski or Jake Polanyi’s backyard - getting ready for one of their dads to drive them to a tournament in Grand Rapids or, often, Big Boy Arena in Fraser - the exact same rink where his boys, Jaxon, 6, and Maddox, 4, recently had a tournament.
“That’s where I fell in love with hockey - playing at Muskrat Lake (in North Muskegon) or one of those backyard rinks,” explained Abdelkader. “Hockey has given so much to me. I still love being around the game and coaching my kids is a way of giving something back.”
It may seem like yesterday, but it’s actually been almost 30 years since Abdelkader was playing for the Muskegon Chiefs - the first step on a hockey odyssey which can only be described as a dream come true.
Abdelkader, who will turn 38 on Feb. 25, defied the tremendous odds and made it all the way to the NHL, where he played 13 seasons and won a Stanley Cup as a left winger with his home-state Detroit Red Wings.
He will be recognized for his incredible hockey career - which, by the way, includes a college national championshp at Michigan State and the privilege of playing for his country at the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing, China - when he is inducted into the Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame on June 14 in a ceremony at the Fricano Event Center on Muskegon Lake.
“I’ve always been proud to tell people that I grew up in Muskegon,” said Abdelkader, who has a summer home in Norton Shores. “It’s an honor to be joining all the other great names. A lot of them I looked up to and grew up watching.”
Joining Abdelkader in the MASHF’s “Class of 2025” are Bob Heethius, Frank Lewandoski, the national championship Muskegon Community College softball team of 2010 and Distinguished Service Award winner Al Nichols. Two Student-Athlete honorees will be announced in May.
Tickets for the induction banquet will go on sale in the spring on the Hall’s website, www.mashf.com.
Abdelkader played his last competitive hockey game in Switzerland in March of 2023, and since that time has dealt with the often difficult transition for professional athletes back to normal life by going in “100 percent” to his new job as a father.
Abdelkader and his wife, Julie, are expecting their third child in February (a girl).
His role as dad hasn’t left a whole lot of time for him to reflect on his hockey career but, when he does, he will look back on a journey which featured championships at almost every stop.
The one notable exception was at Mona Shores, where he led the Sailors to the semifinals as a sophomore and the finals as a junior (when he was named “Mr. Hockey” in Michigan), losing each year to Trenton.
Abdelkader won a USHL championship in Cedar Rapids (Iowa), an NCAA title at Michigan State, a Stanley Cup with the Red Wings and a bronze medal for Team USA at the 2021 World Championships.
He developed a reputation as a clutch goal-scorer, most notably when he scored with 18.9 seconds remaining to lift MSU over Boston College for the 2007 NCAA title.
His combination of tremendous size (6-2, 220) and knack for depositing pucks in the back of the net helped him flourish in the NHL. He played in 739 games for the Red Wings, including five years as an alternate captain, and finished with 106 goals and 252 points in Detroit.
His parents, Joe and Sheryl Abdelkader of Norton Shores, use the word “surreal” to describe their son’s career.
“I remember in Justin’s first year with the Red Wings, I was talking to Chris Osgood’s dad,” recalled Joe Abdelkader, who was a longtime teacher and coach at Reeths-Puffer. “He told me: ‘Just remember, it goes fast.’ Boy, was he right.”
Abdelkader finished his career by playing three years on the larger ice surface in Switzerland, where - surprise, surprise - he led his EV Zug team to the league championship. He said living and playing in Switzerland was an experience that both he and Julie truly loved.
Unfortunately, his final two years in Europe were marred by injuries - a broken hand in 2021 and then a broken ankle in 2022.
Those injuries got him thinking about retirement and his age (mid-30s) and his two boys advancing age (starting youth hockey), led him to end his competitive playing days. He stays close to both the MSU and Red Wings’ organizations, and he could see a day where he becomes more involved as a coach, scout or in player development.
For the moment, he’s loving life as a hockey dad.
“I probably could have squeezed out another year or two playing in Europe,” said Abdelkader, who noted that he had offers in Germany and other countries. “But my boys are only going to be this age for so long. I know how fast it goes.
“Being with them is how I want to be spending my time right now.”
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