Former Cedar Rapids RoughRiders forward Justin Abdelkader has been named to the 2007 Unites States National Junior Team that will compete at the International Ice Hockey Federation’s World Junior Championship from December 26, 2006 through January 5, 2007 in Mora and Leksand, Sweden.

The 10-nation tournament features the world’s top hockey players under 20 years of age. The U.S. team was announced earlier tonight on the Versus network during the broadcast of this evening’s National Hockey League game between the Chicago Blackhawks and Minnesota Wild in St. Paul.

Abdelkader, who helped the RoughRiders to the United States Hockey League Clark Cup title in 2004-05, is currently a sophomore at Michigan State. The 19-year old Muskegon, Michigan, native has scored four goals and totaled 12 points in 15 games with the Spartans this season. Last year he enjoyed a standout freshman season, scoring ten goals and notching 22 points in 44 games.

In 2004-05, Abdelkader finished tied for the RoughRider team lead in goals (27) and totaled 52 points in what was his only United States Hockey League season.

“This is great news for Justin. He has worked extremely hard to get to this point,” said RoughRiders coach and general manager Mark Carlson. “This also says a lot about the strength of our league when it comes to developing players who can have success at the highest levels of this sport.”

Abdelkader will join Bobby Goepfert as the second RoughRider to play for Team USA at the World Junior Championship. Goepfert’s spectacular goaltending propelled the U.S. to a strong fourth place finish at the 2003 WJC in Nova Scotia. Current Rider defenseman Sergei Kolosov represented Belarus in the B pool of last year’s tournament.

Abdelkader was selected by the Detroit Red Wings in the second round of the 2005 National Hockey League draft with the forty-second overall pick. He was drafted earlier than any other RoughRider in team history. Abdelkader joined the RoughRiders after being named Michigan’s Mr. Hockey while playing for Muskegon Mona Shores High School in 2003-04.

The U.S. finished fourth in each of the last two World Junior Championships after winning the tournament for the first time in 2004. Team USA will open this year’s World Junior Championship on Tuesday, December 26 against Germany.

First held in 1977, the World Junior Championship has launched the careers of all-time greats like Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux as well as current National Hockey Leaue stars like Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin.

The RoughRiders (12-6-0, 24 points) are currently in second place in the United States Hockey League’s East Division, two points behind the division-leading Waterloo Black Hawks. The Riders return to action this weekend with a home-and-home series against the Lincoln Stars. The Riders will visit Lincoln Friday night before returning home to meet the Stars Saturday evening at 7:05.

Tickets for all remaining RoughRider regular season home games- including this Saturday’s- are now on sale. Tickets are available for purchase in person at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena ticket office, over the phone at (319) 261-4625 or online at www.roughridershockey.com. The ticket office is open from noon to 5:00PM on weekdays and from noon through the end of the second period on game days. Ticket prices range from $7 to $17 in advance and from $8 to $18 on game days.