 |
Carolina Hurricanes
2006 NHL Draft
7th Round • 213th Overall |
Senior Season - 2009-10
Krueger had an outstanding season in his final year at Cornell, earning the ECAC Hockey Defensive Defenseman of the Year Award. He formed part of the top shutdown pairing and played against the opposition's top line. He scored 12 points on the year on one goal and 11 assists, appearing in all 34 games. His lone goal of the season, a power-play tally, served as the game-winner in the Big Red's 2-0 victory against Quinnipiac on Feb. 5. Krueger had back-to-back multi-assist games, picking up two against New Hampshire on Jan. 3 and another two against Clarkson on Jan. 15. Krueger had a three-point game with three assists on Nov. 24 against Colgate. He finished the season with 22 minutes in penalties and was a +17 for the season. After the season, he was selected to the German National Team that competed at the IIHF World Championships in Germany, finishing fourth.
Junior Season - 2008-09
Krueger took another step toward being one of the top defensemen in ECAC Hockey and establishing himself as a top-four defenseman. He appeared in 35 of the Big Red's 36 games, missing only one due to injury, and tallied five points on a goal and four assists. He scored his first point of the season with a goal against Dartmouth on Nov. 22, then added an assist at North Dakota a week later. A valuable member of the Big Red's penalty killing unit, Krueger was whistled for only 12 penalties on the year, equaling a career low.
Career Highs
| Goals |
1 (six times) |
last vs. Dartmouth, 11/22/08 |
| Assists |
1 (14 times) |
last at Dartmouth, 2/13/09 |
| Points |
1 (20 times) |
last at Dartmouth, 2/13/09 |
| Shots |
7 |
vs. Rensselaer, 3/14/09 |
| Penalties |
3 (two times) |
last at Dartmouth, 2/13/09 |
| Penalty Minutes |
17 |
at Dartmouth, 11/17/07 |
Sophomore Season - 2007-08
Krueger continued his development as one of the Big Red's top defensemen as a sophomore, adding more of an offensive presence during his second season in addition to his solid defensive play. Krueger played in 35 of the team's 36 games, missing only the contest against Boston University at Madison Square Garden. He scored nine points as a sophomore, tallying four goals and five assists, with two of his goals coming as game-winners. He notched his first career game-winner in the Jan. 5 win over Niagara at Lynah Rink, then scored Cornell's third goal, coming on the power play, in the victory over Colgate in the ECAC Hockey Tournament consolation game. Krueger scored a pair of power-play goals on the year, including one in the Big Red's win against Dartmouth on the final weekend of the regular season at Lynah Rink. In the two-game series against Niagara, he had a goal and an assist, collecting his assist in the 6-0 win on Jan. 4 before scoring the game-winner the following night. Krueger was also named to the ECAC Hockey All-Academic team for his efforts in the classroom.
Freshman Season - 2006-07
Krueger had a solid freshman campaign, being one of only four players to appear in all 31 contests on the season. He was able to provide stability to the blue line and, for a good portion of the season, played on the top defensive pairing. Krueger recorded six points on the year on a goal and five assists. He scored his first collegiate goal on Jan. 6, 2007, against Sacred Heart. Krueger had assists in back-to-back games against Yale and Harvard early in the season, helping the Big Red to a 5-0 start for the first time in the tenure of head coach Mike Schafer.
Before Cornell
Krueger played only one season in North America with the Penticton Vees of the British Columbia Hockey League after growing up in Switzerland and playing for the German national team. He is the prototypical Cornell defenseman, possessing good size to defend and great speed, which allows him to join the offensive rush. Krueger led the Vees to an Interior Division championship and was voted by his teammates as the top conditioned athlete. He also won two gold medals as a member of Team Germany, taking first at the U-18 Division I World Championships in 2004 and as team captain at the U-20 Division I World Championships in 2005. Krueger was a seventh round draft pick of the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006.
Personal
Justin Matthew Krueger is the son of Ralph and Glenda Kruger and has a younger sister. His father played professional hockey in Canada and Germany and is currently the head coach of the Swiss national hockey team. Krueger is enrolled in the College of Hotel Administration.
Krueger's Career Statistics
| Year |
GP |
Goals |
Assists |
Points |
PIM |
+/- |
PPG |
SHG |
GWG |
| 2006-07 |
31 |
1 |
5 |
6 |
24 |
+4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 2007-08 |
35 |
4 |
5 |
9 |
33 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
| 2008-09 |
35 |
1 |
4 |
5 |
24 |
-4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 2009-10 |
34 |
1 |
11 |
12 |
22 |
+17 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| Totals |
135 |
7 |
25 |
32 |
103 |
+17 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
