Abel played 3 seasons with the New York Rangers and 5 seasons with the Chicago Black Hawks. He also played for the Minneapolis Millers of the Central Hockey League for 23 games and won a silver medal with the United States in the 1924 Winter Olympics. He won the Stanley Cup with the Rangers in the 1927–28 NHL season. After he retired, he returned to his hometown and coached ice hockey as well as operated a tourist hotel. He was inducted into the United States Hall of Fame in 1973. He was the first United States-born player to become a NHL regular player.