{"id":599900,"date":"2026-06-16T08:48:12","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T08:48:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/599900\/"},"modified":"2026-06-16T08:48:12","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T08:48:12","slug":"signing-with-red-wings-ends-years-of-bitter-rivalry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/599900\/","title":{"rendered":"Signing With Red Wings Ends Years of Bitter Rivalry"},"content":{"rendered":"

Together, within days of each other, they signed pro contracts and officially became Detroit<\/a> Red Wings hopefuls. Yet, beneath the surface, truisms remained.<\/p>\n

Kienan Draper<\/a> is a Michigan man. Trey Augustine<\/a> will always go green. <\/p>\n

Can they put years of bitter rivalry aside, as they unite in pursuit of a common goal?<\/p>\n

Sure. Why not? Let bygones be bygones and all that sort of stuff.<\/p>\n

UPDATE: Trey Augustine will report to the AHL\u2019s Grand Rapids Griffins on an amateur tryout for the remainder of the 2025-26 season.<\/p>\n

Additionally, Augustine has been signed to a three-year, entry-level contract beginning with the 2026-27 season. pic.twitter.com\/751Y0EGRMa<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) March 31, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cObviously, playing for Michigan and Michigan State, there\u2019s always going to be that rivalry there, and I\u2019m sure there always will be when they\u2019re playing each other,\u201d former Michigan State Spartan Augustine<\/a> said of suddenly being pro teammates with Michigan Wolverines forward Kienan Draper. \u201cBut, no, I mean, obviously we\u2019re teammates now, and we\u2019re pulling for each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pulling for each other instead of trying to pull each other apart. Pro sports tend to make for strange scenarios. <\/p>\n

Netminder Augustine<\/a>, Detroit\u2019s 41st overall selection in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, turned pro late last season, joining the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins after signing his entry-level deal with the Red Wings.<\/p>\n

Around the same time, Michigan senior Draper, Detroit\u2019s 187th selection in the 2020 draft, was inking an AHL pact and also arriving in Grand Rapids.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I mean, it\u2019s definitely different,\u201d Draper said. \u201cI mean, going against certain guys is, when you\u2019re going against them, you don\u2019t like them. <\/p>\n

\u201cBut when you\u2019re on the same team, you\u2019re all pulling on the same rope.\u201d<\/p>\n

Red Wings Picks Dealing With Changes<\/p>\n

In a sense, what Augustine and Draper are undergoing is no different than what we experience upon finishing school and entering the real world. <\/p>\n

The friends who\u2019ve been such a significant part of your life for many years are also embarking on their careers, heading in different directions. A new group of friends awaits as you enter the workforce.<\/p>\n

Draper understands this reality succinctly. <\/p>\n

\u201cI know Trey and I, we\u2019re going to be getting along now for sure,\u201d Draper said.<\/p>\n

Augustine echoed those sentiments.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I\u2019ve known him for a while now,\u201d Augustine said of Draper. \u201cObviously, just a super good kid.\u201d<\/p>\n

His teammate. And now, his friend.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s just how it works in sports.<\/p>\n