Found this little ditty by Greg Krupa of the Detroit News…"I hear a lot of people talking. Hopefully I can be someone they can look up to, someone from Michigan who played in the state of Michigan pretty much my whole career, and someone who is a kind of blue-collar player who is going to finish checks and do all of the little things. But, you know what? I look at it this way: If I am in Grand Rapids or Detroit, I trust Detroit and what they are going to do. You know? I'm just not going to worry about where I am going to be. And if they put me in Grand Rapids I am going to try hard and fight and try to make it in Detroit. But I know if they put me in Grand Rapids, it's for the best interest for me, and getting better."
Does that sound like someone who understands what it takes to win? Does that sound like someone who buys right into the system that has brought Detroit 4 Cups in a dozen years? Abdelkader’s stock in my book just keeps gaining value.
What’s he doing with at least part of his summer? This:
"I promised my mom when I left school early that I would finish my degree, at some point -- hopefully, in a few years," he said.
So, there he was, at 9:05 a.m., one day last week, hopping off his Yamaha Sports Scooter and wearing a cap, T-shirt, blue jeans and sandals as he walked into Bessey Hall for Econ 310, "The Economics of Developing Countries." He hopes to preserve his 3.4 grade-point average.
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Not too shabby. Especially in a time where some pro athletes don’t even attend college. I remember hearing an interview with retired goon turned lawyer Stu Grimson talking about how important finishing his education was for his life after hockey.
Don’t think that Abadabbadoo is just hitting the classroom. He and Jakub Kindl have been working out on Michigan State’s campus: concentrating primarily on preventing those “lower-body” injuries.
The rest of the article really talks about what he did this summer, so feel free to browse.
I’m liking this kid more and more…still want him playing in G.R. this year, though.
I’m liking this kid more and more…still want him playing in G.R. this year, though.
What a great guy! I really hope he ends up being a career Red Wing.
ReplyDeleteI think Darren Helm's improvement between the 2008 and 2009 playoffs shows the importance of getting good minutes, even if it's at the AHL level.