The post Augustine Ready to Begin Pro Journey With Red Wings appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.
Editor’s Note: This is the third installment of a Detroit Hockey Now series assessing the Detroit Red Wings‘ prospects’ path to the NHL. The emphasis will be on what their chances are of playing regularly in the NHL and when we can expect to see them wearing the Winged Wheel.
Advertisement
Position: Goaltender
NHL Draft status: 41st, 2023
Detroit Hockey Now Ranking: No. 3 Red Wings prospect
Hgt./Wgt: 6-1, 183 pounds
Age/Experience: 21, 2 AHL games.
Throughout his hockey career, Detroit Red Wings prospect Trey Augustine has graded out ahead of the curve. He won back-to-back gold medals with USA Hockey in the World Junior Championships. Augustine won the Richter Award as the NCAA’s top goalie this year. He played for the USA in the senior IIHF World Championship as a teenager.
It all makes you wonder if he can defy the odds and fast-track his way to the NHL.
In general, goalies aren’t quick studies as they advance up the hockey ladder. There’s just something that feels different about Augustine, though.
Advertisement
“He’s so quick, and he’s so athletic and agile, especially low,” Grand Rapids Griffins coach Dan Watson said. “He’s a worker; he’s a workhorse.
“He is out there just taking shot after shot after shot, and he’s out there trying to stop every single one of them.”
In his junior season at Michigan State University, Augustine wound up with a 24-9-1 record with three shutouts, a 2.11 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage. He was a 2025-26 Hobey Baker Award finalist and earned Big Ten Goaltender of the Year recognition.
“I think this past year, college has been the best year for myself in terms of being able to prepare like a professional and take care of my body,” Augustine said. “Super important.
Advertisement
“It’s about being able to find things to do and know what I have to do to be ready to go each and every single day. And I feel like I really did a good job of that this year at State and that can only help me going forward.”
Over three seasons with the Spartans, Augustine amassed a 66-25-7 ledger with nine shutouts, a 2.40 GAA and a .922 save percentage in 99 appearances.
-
His combination of athleticism and technique is exactly what NHL teams look for in a goalie today. The days of robotic puck blockers are over. Agility is again a vital quality to be an elite-level NHL puckstopper.
-
Augustine is a tremendous competitor. He battles to stop every shot. That’s a character trait shared by every one of the NHL’s all-time great netminders.
-
He’s a winner. His resume already contains a list of successes that few NHL goalies can claim.
By traditional NHL standards, Augustine is undersized to be an NHL netminder. The average height for current NHL goalies is 6-foot-3 and 201 pounds.
Advertisement
Plenty of top college goalies have also peaked at the NCAA level. They struggle when going against the higher caliber of shooters they face in the NHL. Think Jean-Marc Pelletier, Robb Stauber, or Jeff Lerg, like Augustine, a Michigan State netminder.
Historically, goalies don’t become NHL regulars until their mid-20s. Could Augustine buck that trend?
“He’s extremely competitive, he’s got that winning pedigree behind his name, and he’s been well coached,” Watson said. “You can tell we’re excited to see what he has.”
This will be his first full pro season, and should render us a much better read on how far away Augustine is from being NHL-ready.
Advertisement
The post Augustine Ready to Begin Pro Journey With Red Wings appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.
