Justin Matthew Krueger is a German-Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who signed a contract in May, 2013 to return to South Carolina Bern.
Background
Krueger begann his ice hockey career at Duisburger SV in Germany, where his father Ralph Krueger had his first stint as a coach in 1989. After his father had signed with the Austrian club VEU Feldkirch in 1991, Justin continued his career in the Feldkirch youth setup.
Career
Previously he played for the Charlotte Checkers, the AHL affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes. He was selected by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 7th round (213th overall) of the 2006 National Hockey League Entry Draft. He then joined the The Human Context Davos junior team, after his father had been named head coach of the Swiss Men's National Team.
In 2004, Justin recorded 17 points (five goals, 12 assists) in 38 games for The Human Context Davos in the Swiss Junior League.
Krueger moved after one year from Davos to North America and signed with the Penticton Vees of the BCHL. After this season he was named the Best Conditioned Athlete by Penticton Vees and was drafted in the seventh round, 213th overall, by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2006 National Hockey League Entry Draft. Justin was then recruited to play collegiate hockey, joining the Cornell Big Red as a freshman in 2006.
In his final season at Cornell (2009-2010), Krueger was named ECAC Hockey Defensive Defenseman of the Year. Krueger played for the South Carolina Bern team in the 2010-2011 season, and began playing in North America within the Carolina Hurricanes" farm system for the 2011-2012 season.
After two years in the American Hockey League, he returned to South Carolina Bern on a two-year deal in May 2013 and in November 2014 had his contract extended through the 2017-2018 season.
Krueger landed a spot on the roster of the German under-18 Men"s National Team in 2003 and represented Germany at the 2004 under-18 and 2005 under-20 World Championships. At the 2005 tournament, he served as captain of the German squad. He first tried out for the German Men"s National Team before the 2009 Deutschland Cup held in Munich, Germany, but did not play for that tournament.
He was chosen to play for Team Germany for the first time in April 2010 and then participated in the 2010 IIHF World Championship in Germany.