American goalie Trey Augustine won three gold medals and five in total during his stellar junior-level career.
photo: Andre Ringuette/IIHF
There are various metrics one can use to create a list of best-ever junior players (U18 and U20 combined), but surely one of the most impressive is total medals won. And while there have been more than 25 players to win four career medals, only four players have won five: Goaltenders Trey Augustine (USA) and Kari Lehtonen (FIN), forward Filip Forsberg (SWE), and defender Slava Voinov (RUS).
Augustine has three gold, a silver, and a bronze, earned over a three-year period that ended just last year (2022-25). He won a silver at the 2022 U18 and a year later won two medals—gold at U18 and bronze at the World Juniors. Then came back-to-back golds at the U20 in 2024 and 2025.
Lehtonen achieved his junior success a generation earlier, from 2000 to 2003. He won Finland’s second U18 gold, in 2000, with a 3-1 win over Russia on the final day, and a year later won bronze. At the World Juniors, he won a silver in ’01 as a result of a 2-1 loss to the Czechs in the gold-medal game, and a bronze a year later in Pardubice when he was also named IIHF Directorate Best Goaltender. He won his second World Junior bronze in 2003.
Forsberg’s junior career comes between Augustine and Lehtonen and includes one gold medal and four silver. He won back-to-back silvers in 2011 and ’12 with the U18 team, but even before that second silver he helped Finland win gold at the World Juniors. In 2013 and ’14, he won two more silver medals, finishing second to the United States and Finland. Forsberg was highly decorated during these years. He was named tournament MVP at the 2014 World Juniors and was IIHF Directorate Best Forward in 2012 at the U18 and again two years later at the World Juniors. He was also named to the tournament All-Star Team in both 2013 and ’14.
Voinov’s achievements also do not overlap with any of these other stars. His junior career came between 2007 and 2009, and he won one gold, two silver, and two bronze. He is the only blueliner in the group, and he won his gold medal in ’07 at the U18. That same year, he also won silver at the World Juniors, and in 2008 he again won two medals—silver at U18, bronze at World Juniors. In 2009, he won another bronze in his final year of junior eligibility.
Each player made his achievement special. Augustine is the only one with three gold medals. Forsberg earned several personal honours. Voinov is the only defender, and Lehtonen was the first player to win five junior-combined medals.
This year, there are three Americans who could win their fourth career junior-level medal, but all will be playing in their final World Juniors—James Hagens, Cole Eiserman, and Cole Hutson. No other players are close.
Winning one medal in IIHF competition is a challenge; winning five, as a junior, is sensational.
Augustine has three gold, a silver, and a bronze, earned over a three-year period that ended just last year (2022-25). He won a silver at the 2022 U18 and a year later won two medals—gold at U18 and bronze at the World Juniors. Then came back-to-back golds at the U20 in 2024 and 2025.
Lehtonen achieved his junior success a generation earlier, from 2000 to 2003. He won Finland’s second U18 gold, in 2000, with a 3-1 win over Russia on the final day, and a year later won bronze. At the World Juniors, he won a silver in ’01 as a result of a 2-1 loss to the Czechs in the gold-medal game, and a bronze a year later in Pardubice when he was also named IIHF Directorate Best Goaltender. He won his second World Junior bronze in 2003.
Forsberg’s junior career comes between Augustine and Lehtonen and includes one gold medal and four silver. He won back-to-back silvers in 2011 and ’12 with the U18 team, but even before that second silver he helped Finland win gold at the World Juniors. In 2013 and ’14, he won two more silver medals, finishing second to the United States and Finland. Forsberg was highly decorated during these years. He was named tournament MVP at the 2014 World Juniors and was IIHF Directorate Best Forward in 2012 at the U18 and again two years later at the World Juniors. He was also named to the tournament All-Star Team in both 2013 and ’14.
Voinov’s achievements also do not overlap with any of these other stars. His junior career came between 2007 and 2009, and he won one gold, two silver, and two bronze. He is the only blueliner in the group, and he won his gold medal in ’07 at the U18. That same year, he also won silver at the World Juniors, and in 2008 he again won two medals—silver at U18, bronze at World Juniors. In 2009, he won another bronze in his final year of junior eligibility.
Each player made his achievement special. Augustine is the only one with three gold medals. Forsberg earned several personal honours. Voinov is the only defender, and Lehtonen was the first player to win five junior-combined medals.
This year, there are three Americans who could win their fourth career junior-level medal, but all will be playing in their final World Juniors—James Hagens, Cole Eiserman, and Cole Hutson. No other players are close.
Winning one medal in IIHF competition is a challenge; winning five, as a junior, is sensational.