Trey Augustine came through with the saves expected of a high-end goaltending prospect, and Kienen Draper did his dad – and the Detroit Red Wings – proud.
Red Wings prospects scored twice in the last six minutes of their prospect tournament game at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday, Sept. 12, against Dallas Stars prospects to force overtime, which segued into an eight-round shootout. When seven Wings players had failed to make a dent, Draper stood up on the bench.
"It was fun to see the guys go, and great for Kienan – he called the shot, let's put it that way," said Grand Rapids Griffins coach Dan Watson, who is serving as bench boss for the Wings squad during the three-day tournament. "He told us, I've got the next one, guys, and he delivers.
So good for him."
Draper's dad, former Wings Stanley Cup champion and current assistant general manager Kris Draper, congratulated Kienan afterwards in the locker room. The mood was light, made better by winning 4-3 on the practice facility ice inside Little Caesars Arena, where Jesse Kiiskinen, Noah Dower Nilsson and Theo Rochette scored for Detroit in regulation.
Augustine, the former Michigan State star named college hockey's top netminder last season, finished with 26 saves.
"He moves extremely well," Watson said. "He's very smart. You saw in the shootout, a couple of the saves he made. The first period, I think we gave up four shots, but they were all four scoring chances against him. He was able to shut the door there. So, bright future ahead of him here, but he's got to continue to work and continue to get better."
Trey Augustine's arrival
The 21-year-old from South Lyon is entering his first full season of pro hockey, and this tournament is a good warm-up for the opening of the Wings' main training camp, which runs Sept. 17-20.
"There's nothing like playing games definitely for younger guys including myself coming in here," Augustine said. "It's really exciting. It's a new chapter of my life now and I'm just really excited to be a professional hockey player. I'm really excited to be part of this organization."
Augustine, 21, turned pro on March 31 with a three-year, entry-level deal that begins with the 2026-27 season. That clears the way for Augustine to join the Wings' AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids for a full season. The Wings selected Augustine (a South Lyon product) at No. 43 in the 2023 NHL Draft.
Augustine joined the Griffins in the spring after completing his junior season at MSU, posting a 24-9-1 record with a 2.11 goals-against average, a .929 save percentage and three shutouts in 34 appearances. The 6-foot-1, 194-pounder was named Big Ten Goaltender of the Year for the second consecutive season and earned a place on the All-Big Ten first team.
The pro lifestyle
Augustine had a very brief stint in GR in the spring, appearing in two games (3.39 GAA, .878 save percentage).
"It was awesome," Augustine said. "It's really just getting comfortable like being around the rink now knowing the setup, knowing where things are, knowing who people are. Definitely make it easier if I end up there in a couple days."
Augustine is in for a huge adjustment, from playing far more games to no longer having a life structured around classes.
"It's going to be the first time I ever play a season where there's a lot more games and there's practice," Augustine said. "I'm just seeing how I can manage that and just keep improving each year and see where that goes. Everyone's a little bit better, pass a little cleaner, shots a little harder, a little more precise. So, really just have to be on top of your game all the time."
Internal competition
Augustine will be battling for playing time with Michal Postava, the free-agent signee from Czechia who emerged as the No. 1 netminder in GR last season, displacing first-round pick Sebastian Cossa.
"Just look what Michal did," Watson said. "I mean, he came in kind of unknown to me for sure, and he was outstanding for us all year long. Just continued to get better. And I think Trey has that same opportunity. He will get better and continue to get better. He's good now, don't get me wrong, but he will continue to get better, and I think that's exciting for everybody in the organization."
Contact Helene St. James at Hstjames@freepress.com.
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For (preseason) openers: Blue Jackets
Matchup: Red Wings (41-31-10 in 2025-26) at Columbus (40-30-12 in 2025-26); exhibition opener.
Faceoff: 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 21; Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio.
TV/radio: None.
Regular-season opener: vs. N.Y. Rangers; 6:30 p.m. Oct. 2; TNT, truTV.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Finished with Michigan State, G Trey Augustine ready for new lessons
