Muskegon sends 31 players to NHL development camps after draft surge

USHL Junior Hockey · By Sarah Mitchell · July 1, 2026

Muskegon’s NHL footprint widened again this summer, with 31 players tied to the Lumberjacks taking part in development camps after six more organization-linked players were selected in the 2026 NHL Draft. Five of those picks came from last season’s roster, and the total lifted Muskegon to 70 all-time NHL Draft picks in 15 years.

The draft surge was part of a bigger USHL picture. The league finished with 44 selections in the 2026 draft, including 32 direct USHL selections, after clubs made their calls June 27 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y. Muskegon’s draft count led the way among USHL teams, and that production carried straight into the post-draft camp circuit.

Buffalo and New York sent the biggest Muskegon contingents. The Sabres’ development camp runs June 29 through July 2 at LECOM Harborcenter, and their roster includes former Muskegon captain Jake Richard, defenseman Gavin McCarthy and Melvin Novotny. Buffalo noted that Novotny’s 57 points ranked second on the Lumberjacks and 16th in the USHL, a reminder that his numbers traveled well beyond junior hockey circles. The Rangers’ development camp also began this week, and New York’s prospect page showed the club made nine selections in the 2026 draft.

The camp invite list matters because it reaches beyond the draft board. NHL teams use these sessions to get a closer look at unsigned prospects, which is why a player like Jack Williams still fits the Muskegon story. Williams was undrafted, signed with Columbus as a free agent in March after three seasons at Northeastern, and attended his first Blue Jackets development camp as a pro. Quinn Hutson followed a different route but ended at the same destination: he signed an entry-level deal with Edmonton on April 14, 2025, then landed a two-year extension on January 12, 2026.

Muskegon — Wikimedia Commons — U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not specified or unknown via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

Columbus’ prospects development camp runs June 29 through July 2 at the OhioHealth Ice Haus, part of the same late-June-to-early-July window that keeps Muskegon names on NHL rink sheets across the league. With alumni, draft picks and free-agent additions all showing up in the same camps, the Lumberjacks are doing more than stacking one strong draft class. They are selling NHL organizations on a program that keeps producing players teams trust enough to invite back, sign, and develop.