The Detroit News’s Connor Eargood spoke with Team USA World Junior team coach David Carle and Team USA GM John Vanbiesbrouck regarding the outlook for the U.S. 2026 World Junior Championship team.
Both Carle and Vanbiesbrouck spoke about Red Wings prospects, with Carle weighing in regarding MSU goaltender Trey Augustine…
Any team with Augustine in net has a shot at a gold medal. His technical excellence has made him one of the best junior goaltenders in the sport, and a top prospect of the Detroit Red Wings that picked him in the second round of the 2023 draft. Already backstopping Team USA to bronze and gold the past two seasons, Augustine wants to add one more medal in his World Junior swan song.
“You look at him in goal and I just see a stronger, more mature body,” Carle said Monday. “Allows his movement to be even cleaner and crisper than it was even a year ago. So it’s impressive that he’s continuing to even improve upon his strengths.”
And there’s this from Vanbiesbrouck regarding University of Minnesota-Duluth forward and 2024 Wings draft pick Max Plante:
Finally, Team USA has decisions to make about rostering some power-play role players, including Austin Burnevik, Trevor Connelly and Red Wings second-round pick Max Plante, who was a late add to camp after returning to action from a wrist injury.
“He was just too good to leave out of our group,” Vanbiesbrouck said. “… When somebody’s wearing a splint, it’s kind of hard, but he’s just playing too good so we got to give him that shot. And he deserves to be here.”
Continued (paywall)
