"Something To Prove" – Red Wings' Prospect Trey Augustine Makes Major Bet On Himself

The Detroit Red Wings feel that they have two of the best goaltending prospects in the National Hockey League today in Sebastian Cossa and Trey Augustine. 

Cossa has already gained valuable experience playing professional hockey with the Grand Rapids Griffins, though he did struggle at times during the Calder Cup postseason.

Meanwhile, Augustine has played a starring role in the success for the United States in international play, earning the distinction of the winningest American-born goaltender in IIHF World Junior Championship history. 

He backstopped the United States to consecutive gold medal victories in 2024 and 2025, and saw his stock rise by having his name included in a recent NHL ranking of the best goaltenders aged 25 or younger. 

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Red Wings fans are going to have to wait a bit longer to see him don the Winged Wheel, as he informed the organization months ago that he intended to return to East Lansing and suit up for the Michigan State Spartans for his junior season. 

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Augustine, the 41st overall selection by the Red Wings in the 2023 NHL Draft, recently explained that he feels he has unfinished business yet to accomplish with the Spartans in the form of a national championship.

"There’s still something to prove there and I want to go back and win a national championship," Augustine said via Helene St. James of The Detroit Free Press. "But it was a lot of good things that happened throughout the year. I got better as a hockey player and as a person and am looking to do that again next year."

As far as when he feels he'll start playing professional hockey within the Red Wings' system, Augustine said that's a decision that's yet to be made.

"I still have to go out there and prove it," he said. "I’ll make that decision at the end of next season."

Augustine's accomplishments not only in international play but with the Spartans, which include him taking home first-team All-Big Ten and All-America honors, are nothing to overlook. 

While Cossa may have gotten the bulk of attention from Red Wings fans excited about the future, Augustine has already made a strong case for himself to eventually be Detroit's starter. 

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