By Jared Clinton, Features Writer

Adam Nightingale was hardly off the plane from the Under-18 World Championship in Germany when the call came in. It was May 2022, and Nightingale was driving to East Lansing, Mich. Not even one day earlier, he had helped guide Team USA to silver at the U-18s, and here Nightingale was set to be named coach of his alma mater, returning almost two decades after he played his final game as a Spartan and nine years after leaving his post as Michigan State’s director of hockey operations.

On the line was an advisor for Trey Augustine, who had just played his heart out for Nightingale’s American outfit, taking the blue paint in the tournament’s semifinal and gold-medal games. Augustine’s advisor wanted to know how the then-17-year-old keeper had fared at the competition. Nightingale was effusive with his praise – Augustine had been excellent, Nightingale thought, and he said as much. Then came a question that has helped change the Spartans’ trajectory: “He said, ‘Well, what do you think about him for Michigan State?’” Nightingale recalled. “And I was like, ‘No brainer.’”

Less than two full seasons later, it’s become obvious to everyone else why Nightingale was so eager to bring Augustine aboard.

As a freshman in 2023-24, Augustine was the youngest starting goaltender in the NCAA, and only 13 goalies appeared in more games than he did. Yet, only seven of those netminders posted a save percentage better than his .915 mark, and none – not among those who saw more action nor anyone else in Div. I – stopped more rubber. Augustine earned Big Ten tournament MVP honors, was a finalist for the Mike Richter Award as the nation’s top goaltender and, in the middle of it all, he managed to jet off to the 2024 World Junior Championship and lead the tournament in SP and goals-against average while backstopping the Americans to gold.

This season, too, he’s picked up right where he left off, both at Michigan State and internationally. In January, he took the starting reins for Team USA’s WJC team for the third consecutive year, and he was the goaltender of record as they repeated as champions for the first time in tournament history. Meanwhile, back at home, Augustine entered the stretch run of the Spartans’ season as the No. 1 goalie for one of the top programs in the country. And he’s one of the players who has helped elevate the program to its lofty standing.

When Nightingale was hired and Augustine first committed to Michigan State, the program remained proud but had fallen on hard times. In 2021-22, the three-time national-champion Spartans won just 12 games and lost 15 of their final 16 contests of the season. Nightingale said Augustine being drawn to Michigan State despite the program’s recent run of ill results said a lot about the young stopper’s character, drive and willingness to embrace challenges.

And that played into it for Augustine, sure, but so did the relationship he had formed with Nightingale at the U-18s and during their time together at USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program. “You kind of feel that he wants the best for you,” Augustine said. “When you have a guy as intelligent as that talking to you and understanding you and wants you to help build the culture from the ground up, it’s hard to say no to that.”

But how does a goaltender, let alone one of the youngest in the NCAA, help change the culture? Performance can play its part, and in Augustine’s case, it undoubtedly has, but there’s more to it than the numbers. It’s about how the players carry themselves, and Augustine has done so in a way that belies his age. Despite his preternatural puck-stopping gifts, he’s a low-maintenance, no-ego player who doesn’t want an ounce of special treatment. “He’s gotten more confident in being who he is, believing in that, sticking with it, and that’s had a trickle-down on our program,” Nightingale said. “That’s what we’re looking for: guys who are all about the team, and he for sure embodies that.”

Though much of that happens off the ice, there is an element that comes with it, and it’s something Augustine has possessed even dating back to his minor-hockey days: an ice-in-his-veins demeanor.

A flurry in front of his net? No big deal. A bad turnover that leads to a scoring chance? Augustine won’t be shaken. A goal against? He’ll brush it off. And the truth is that Augustine’s unflappability isn’t so much innate as it is acquired; it’s a quality he’s worked to take from his mom. “She played Div. I basketball in college, so I was able to talk with her and learn from some of her high-pressure experiences,” he said. “It’s always been a goal of mine where, at the end of the day, I can help my team to feel safe and protected out there, so being that calm presence allows them to play to the best of their abilities.”

There’s a selflessness to Augustine’s understanding of how his actions can influence the actions of others that speaks to another of his greatest strengths. Nightingale said there’s an intelligence to Augustine’s game that stands out, not unlike what you’d find in a savvy two-way pivot or a shutdown defender. Put another way, Augustine’s game is perhaps less reactive than it is proactive. “Maybe there’s a seam play that happens, and he’s a step ahead,” Nightingale said. “The best players are always one step ahead, and the best goalies are, and being a smart goalie is one of his gifts.”

Augustine knows, though, that a cool head and the ability to read the play in front of him will not alone get him to the next level. Getting the chance to achieve a childhood dream and play for his hometown Red Wings – Detroit drafted Augustine 41st overall in 2023 – will require him to continue to build on the foundation he has in place. It’s work that is already being done.

Augustine said his rebound control has improved significantly since he arrived at Michigan State, giving him the tools to snuff out second-chance attempts before they even arise. Nightingale also noted that while Augustine has always been an impressive skater, he lacked confidence in his ability to get out and handle the puck. He’s made strides there and understands the influence something so seemingly small can have on his and the Spartans’ game. “Playing the puck has a huge impact on the team, being able to break pucks out of your own end and creating less work for yourself,” Augustine said. “By improving that, I’ve helped myself out and the team as well.”

Given the thoughtfulness with which Augustine approaches his game, it’s all the more evident why he’s become so central to Michigan State’s rise. It’s similarly apparent why the Red Wings are intrigued by the potential, real and untapped, that Augustine possesses. But none of it, be it well-earned accolades or the weight of expectation, seems primed to knock him off course. “It’s the game of hockey,” Augustine said. “Stuff can change lightning-quick. So, for me, it’s every day, keep earning that trust and keep doing what I can to separate myself and prove I belong in the net.”

This article appeared in our 2025 Future Watch issue. Our cover story focuses on Ducks prospect Beckett Sennecke, who is tearing it up with the OHL's Oshawa Generals this season. We also include features on other exceptional NHL prospects, including: Zayne Parekh, Porter Martone, Gavin McKenna and more. In addition, we look at the top-10 prospects in the pipeline for each of the 32 NHL clubs.

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