College hockey's top goalie departs Michigan State for the pros. He joins a stacked Red Wings prospect pool, ready to make his mark.
The dominoes continue to fall for the Michigan State Spartans men’s hockey team.
Just a few days after Spartans freshman phenom Porter Martone signed a three-year entry-level contract with the team that drafted him, the Philadelphia Flyers, it is now time for the Red Wings’ 2023 second-round pick to do the same.
Detroit has officially called up its goaltending prospect, but Augustine will not sign his entry-level contract until next season. For now, he will join former Spartan and fellow Red Wings prospect Sebastian Cossa with the Grand Rapids Griffins — a team that has been on an absolute power surge this season, piling up 97 points so far.
The Red Wings’ pipeline looks bright.
The players they already have continuing to work on their craft in the AHL, combined with all the star-studded talent waiting in the wings, will only toughen Augustine up and make him better for whenever his time comes.
Augustine leaves behind one of the most decorated careers in recent Michigan State hockey history.
After three seasons with the Spartans, Augustine departs as just the second player in the storied history of Big Ten hockey to win Big Ten Goaltender of the Year in back-to-back seasons.
For the second consecutive season, Augustine has been named a finalist for the Mike Richter Award, presented annually to the top goaltender in NCAA Division I men's hockey. Joining Augustine in the final three are Michael Hrabal of UMass and Augustana's Josh Kotai. Augustine is the only two-time finalist among the group and has been at least a semifinalist for the award in each of his three seasons at Michigan State.
On top of those honors, Augustine was also nominated for college hockey’s top individual honor, the Hobey Baker Award, which is given each year to the best overall player in the sport.
Augustine finished his collegiate career with a .922 save percentage and 66 wins in 99 appearances. He also posted nine shutouts for the Spartans.
Sadly, Augustine and Michigan State fell short of their ultimate goal each season: a Frozen Four appearance and a national championship.
Still, the Spartans captured the Big Ten regular-season championship in each of Augustine’s three seasons between the pipes — a first in program history and a major marker of just how important he was to Michigan State’s rise back into national relevance.
What made Augustine so special was not just the results, but the polish in his game.
He has long been regarded as one of the most technically sound young goaltenders in hockey, and that reputation only grew stronger during his time in East Lansing. His positioning, movement, and poise around the crease often separated him from other goalies at the college level, especially in big moments.
As EliteProspects’ 2023 NHL Draft Guide wrote:
“Augustine has an excellent technical foundation. Whether you're talking about his post-sealing ability, hinge as he rotates, or strength of pushes off the post, he ranks high in every regard. Augustine is also a wizard on jam plays with below-the-goal-line puck movement. He also has incredible net awareness, the ability to always know where the frame of the net is and hit his spot when retreating back to the post.”
That description has only proven to be more accurate with time.
For Detroit, Augustine’s arrival only adds to what is becoming one of the more intriguing goaltending pipelines in hockey.
The Red Wings are in the middle of a playoff push, but as the month of March came and went, so did the true hopes of Red Wings fans after yet another losing stretch at the worst possible time. With Cossa and Augustine both waiting in the wings — no pun intended — Detroit has legitimate star power for the future of its goaltending position.
Still, as promising as both goalies have been this season for their respective teams, the Red Wings are not expected to turn to either Cossa or Augustine this year.
That said, next season could begin to show a shift.
Michigan State did a tremendous job preparing Augustine for the next chapter of his career. From winning back-to-back championships with Team USA to helping lead the Spartans to three straight Big Ten titles, Augustine has proven his worth at every level he has touched.
Now, he will get the chance to do it again at the AHL level.
For Michigan State, it is the end of an era in net.
For Detroit, it may just be the beginning of something special.