Tuesday was the fifth day of the World Junior Summer Showcase to help determine the rosters for the United States, Canada, Finland and Sweden at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, to be held in Ottawa from Dec. 26-Jan. 5.
PLYMOUTH, Mich. -- It certainly isn't a stretch to say United States goalie Trey Augustine will enter the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship as the best at his position of the 10 competing countries.
Augustine won all four starts with a 1.75 goals-against average and .936 save percentage in helping the United States to a gold medal at the 2024 WJC in Sweden. He made 19 saves, including several in the final minutes of a 3-2 win against Finland in the semifinal round, and 24 saves in a 6-2 win in the gold-medal game against Sweden.
"I think having that experience helps," Augustine said. "It's going to be my third World Juniors so I kind of feel like I've been through it all. It's knowing how I have to prepare, then seeing a team jell like we did last year. I think that's the most important thing, trying to get every guy on the same page, locked in together and build that brotherhood from the ground up."
The 19-year-old earned team MVP, Outstanding Rookie, second-team All-Big 10 and All-Freshman Team honors in his first season at Michigan State in 2023-24. He ranked fourth in the Big 10 and 15th in the NCAA with a .918 save percentage and fifth in the Big 10 with a 2.96 GAA.
Selected by the Detroit Red Wings in the second round (No. 41) of the 2023 NHL Draft, Augustine is one of five goalies on the United States roster invited to the Summer Showcase. He's expected to make the team and will be joined by two other goalies after final cuts are made in December.
"We're here to go win and it obviously starts now and we're going to keep building," he said. "Every guy is going to work on their game throughout the first half of season and then we're going to get back together and December, have a great camp when we go there, and then go win a gold medal."
Here are three things learned Tuesday: