NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Detroit Red Wings began the second day of the 2023 NHL draft by selecting local goaltender Trey Augustine with the 41st overall pick. He was the first of nine picks by the Wings on Day 2.
Augustine, a native of South Lyon who is committed to play as a freshman at Michigan State, is a product of USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program. He posted a 2.14 goals-against average and .925 save percentage in 32 games this past season.
“It’s pretty special,” Augustine said. “It’s my hometown team, so to be picked by the Red Wings is a great honor. I had good interviews with them at the combine, so I got a sense that if I was at that range, they might do it. It’s a great feeling.”
In the World Junior Championships for Team USA, Augustine had a .891 save percentage and a 2.85 GAA in six games, winning four.
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Round 2, Pick 42: D Andrew Gibson
Augustine was the first of three straight selections the Wings held. At No. 42, they drafted 6-foot-2 defenseman Andrew Gibson.
Gibson, from LaSalle, Ontario, played for Sault Ste. Marie in the OHL and had seven goals and 21 points in 45 games last season. He also played for the World U-18 Championships for Canada, recording three assists in seven games.
“I talked to the Wings at the combine and being so close to home, I think that helped me get picked,” he said. “It’s a great feeling being picked so close to home. This is around my range so I was hoping, maybe, but it’s amazing.”
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Round 2, Pick 47: D Brady Cleveland
The Wings ended up trading the No. 43 pick to the Nashville Predators for picks No. 47 and 147. With the 47th pick, Detroit selected another defenseman, Brady Cleveland, a Wisconsin native and USNTDP product slated to play for the Badgers next season.
In 19 games last year with USNDTP, Cleveland had three assists in 19 games. He also played in the World U-18 Championship and had four penalty minutes in seven games.
Round 3, Pick 73: F Noah Dower Nilsson
At No. 73, the Wings selected Noah Dower Nilsson, the brother of 2021 Wings pick Liam Dower Nilsson. The younger Dower Nilsson is a 6-foot left wing who played last year in Sweden’s junior league. In that league, he had 26 goals and 54 points in 37 games.
Noah Dower Nilsson also played in the World Junior Championship for Sweden and had two goals and six points over seven games.
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Round 4, Pick 117: Larry Keenan
Larry Keenan is another big defenseman, coming in at 6 foot 3, 185 pounds. “I”m a big, solid defenseman,” he said. “I play a two-way game. Still developing physically, but I think Detroit will enjoy my hockey IQ and my playmaking and good work ethic.”
Round 5, Pick 137: Jack Phelan
Sending a trend? Phelan is a 6-4 defenseman who played last season for Sioux Falls in the USHL and is committed to Wisconsin next season.
Round 5, Pick 147: Kevin Bicker
Kevin Bicker is a German forward who has played for Adler Mannheim, which is Moritz Seider’s old club. He’s slated to play next season for Löwen Frankfurt in Germany’s top league.
Round 6, Pick 169: Rudy Guimond
The Wings added another goaltender. He’s 6-4, 179 and college preparatory (Taft) product who is slated to play next season in the USHL with Cedars Rapids, and eventually has plans to play at Yale. “Detroit was my team growing up, so I’m really happy this happened,” Guimond said. “I liked Jimmy Howard’s pads back in the day. That’s how I knew the team.
“I took the prep school route. A little different than most guys, but one of my goalie coaches said it’s better to take the stairs than the elevator.” Guimond, who is bilingual in French, said he chose Yale because “when I get out of there, it’s going to be pretty easy to get a job after that, that’s the main thing.” Tentatively, he plans to do “something in the finances.”
Round 7, Pick 201: Emmitt Finnie
The Wings’ final pick of the day was a 6-foot, 170-pound center from Lethbridge, Alberta. Finnie played 64 games last season for the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League, and he had nine goals and 35 points. He also had four goals and seven points in 14 playoff games.
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames.
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Her latest book, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” is available from Amazon,Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.