BIG RAPIDS — Incoming Ferris State University hockey players Owen Mehlenbacher and Luke Coughlin have earned National Hockey League Development Camp invitations.
Mehlenbacher, a forward, received an invitation from the Detroit Red Wings while defenseman Coughlin was invited by the Florida Panthers.
An NHL development camp is an annual summer orientation for prospects — including collegiate athletes — to experience a professional training environment.
For NCAA hockey players, this invitation means an NHL team is formally evaluating their potential, introducing them to professional conditioning and nutrition standards, and assessing their readiness for a future professional hockey career.
According to NCAA rules, collegiate players can attend these camps without losing their amateur status, provided the NHL team pays for their meals and lodging but does not cover their travel expenses to the event.
The Red Wings’ camp runs from June 29-July 2 and will take place inside the BELFOR Training Center at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
Mehlenbacher is among 37 invitees and was a seventh-round selection by the Red Wings in the 2022 NHL Draft.
Mehlenbacher, who hails from Fort Erie, Ontario in Canada, played collegiately this past year at the University of Massachusetts, tallying nine points on three goals and six assists in 32 outings.
The talented forward was an Academic All-Big Ten pick in 2024-25 at Wisconsin, where he played for two seasons and saw action in 51 games with 10 points, including five goals. He played for the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks and the Fargo Force prior to his collegiate career.
The Panthers’ 2026 development camp opened on Monday and runs through Thursday at Baptist Health IcePlex in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Coughlin is one of 24 prospects invited to the camp, which includes both selections from each of the club’s previous six NHL drafts and other invitees. He was chosen by the Panthers in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft in the sixth round.
A native of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island in Canada, Coughlin appeared in 10 games for the University of Maine this past season, recording his first collegiate point against Lindenwood.
He finished the year with two assists, eight shots on goal and nine blocked shots. Previously, he played four years for Rimouski Oceanic in the QMJHL, serving his final two years as the club’s alternate captain where he tallied 83 points with 15 goals from the blueline in 188 games.
The Bulldogs will embark on their 48th season of NCAA Division I hockey in 2026-27 and the second campaign under head coach Brett Riley.
