GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Trey Augustine is well-known by hockey fans here in the great state of Michigan. Now he’s traded in his green and white for some red and white.
One of the greatest Spartan goaltenders of all-time!
— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) March 31, 2026
Congratulations to Trey Augustine on signing his ATO for the remainder of the 2025-26 season!
Augustine concludes his career in the Green & White 2nd all-time in career save percentage, 5th in career goals against average,… pic.twitter.com/3b1mZJdQ9x
“Everyone's bigger, faster, stronger. I mean, that's the, it's really the next level going from college,” Augustine told me after his first full practice with the Grand Rapids Griffins.
Not a surprising first impression for the 21-year old Red Wings draft pick who officially signed his three-year, entry-level contract with the club. Now in Grand Rapids with the Griffins for the rest of this season on an amateur tryout, the former Spartan netminder was playing for Michigan State less than a month ago.
Now he’s facing some of the American Hockey League's top talent.
But that’s a jump that head coach Dan Watson is not too worried about.
“Guys do shoot it probably a little bit harder," Watson told me. "But he's coming from a great program. He's been coached extremely well. He's very detailed. He has great habits on and off the ice. You know, I don't think there's gonna be a huge jump that's that looks like it right now.”
Even if there are some growing pains, Augustine is embracing the challenge.
“Obviously, there's some things I need to work on still, but I'm gonna do everything I can to,” Augustine said.
The 2026 Hobey Baker Memorial Award finalist is happy to learn from one of the best goalie rooms in the AHL.
“They've [Sebastian Cossa and Michael Postava] been doing unreal, and obviously I'm super excited to join them and thankful that they're welcoming me in here, and embrace me as a part of the team, obviously, and do everything I can to help the team win and keep the season going.”
Keep this season going, and keep this South Lyon native’s ultimate goal still in front of him.
“It's great, grew up watching the Wings, and so, to be able to kind of get closer to living that dream would be unreal.”
The next step in living that dream would be getting in a game this season for the Western Conference Regular-Season title-winning Griffins. A move that will happen in time, but nothing Watson has scheduled in now.
"Obviously we'd like to get him in a game," Watson said. "Don't know when that will be, but that's the plan as of now, hopefully we're just going to work him into to our group, make sure he's comfortable within our group, and just continue day by day, building, building, all the, you know, everything you need to. So he becomes a teammate of our of all the guys in the room."
With two home games and three road games left in the regular season, there is an opportunity for Augustine to get some ice time before the playoffs. But we'll have to wait and see.
The Griffins wrap up the regular season at home on Friday with $2 beer, and $2 hotdogs for fans, before wrapping things up on Saturday with their Fan Appreciation Night.
As for the playoffs, that schedule and opponent are still to be determined.
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