DETROIT -- Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper goes way back with Detroit Red Wings left wing Justin Abdelkader.
When Abdelkader was playing high school hockey in his hometown, Muskegon, Mich., with Mona Shores High School, Cooper was the coach at Lansing Catholic Central High School. The schools played each other because both are located in west Michigan.
So it isn't a real surprise to Cooper that Abdelkader, 28, has developed into an impact NHL power forward.
In his eighth NHL season, Abdelkader, 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, had a breakout 2014-15 season with 23 goals and 21 assists for 44 points in 71 games.