 Abdelkader was selected to play for the United States national junior team at the 2007 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Sweden.Abdelkader was selected to play for the United States national team at the 2014 IIHF World Championship, where he was named team captain.Abdelkader was suspended for one-game at the World Championships for a knee-to-knee hit infraction on Konstantin Pushkaryov in a game against Kazakhstan.