supply chain career on ice

Hockey aficionados are fond of giving nicknames to successful forward lines—the groupings of center, right wing, and left wing that "click" and thus, score lots of goals. The Triple Crown Line, the French Connection, the GAG (Goal a Game) line, and dozens of other names have gained currency among fans over the years. Here's one we might hear about in the future: the Supply Chain Line.

A February story in the Kalamazoo Gazette noted that Michigan State University forward Justin Abdelkader was majoring in supply chain management. Sports writer Rick Shanley apparently had never heard the term; he asked Abdelkader if he had randomly chosen the arcane subject from MSU's curriculum guide. "Nope," he told the reporter. "Our school is first or second in supply chain management." Unsure what he wanted to study, Abdelkader continued, he had job-shadowed a friend of his father's to learn about the business and decided that it was the right profession for him.

Abdelkader may never see the inside of a warehouse, though. He signed a tryout agreement with the Detroit Red Wings last month, which means he won't be returning to the 2007 NCAA champion Spartans for his senior year.