Development camps across the NHL are taking place this week as 2026 draft picks as well as key players in each organization are invited to compete in drills and learn from their future coaches.
Michigan State is sending quite a few players to development camps this week and while the main focus right now is on the 2026 draftees, there are some earlier picks who are competing, too.
One of those picks is former first-rounder in the 2025 NHL Draft, Mason West. The incoming Michigan State freshman was picked No. 29 overall by the Chicago Blackhawks and he’s eventually going to join fellow Spartan Artyom Levshunov in the Windy City. Levshunov was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft by the Blackhawks.
The Chicago Blackhawks shared the list of their development camp invitees over the weekend and the freshman from Minnesota made the cut.
Mason West headed to Blackhawks dev camp! ⤵️ https://t.co/6AGJHjFi2o
— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) June 27, 2026
West is going to be a hot topic this week at the Blackhawks’ camp simply because of his size and the way he moves with his 6-foot-6, 215-pound frame.
Blackhawks fans are already drooling over the incoming Spartan freshman.
Just a reminder that #Blackhawks prospect Mason West is listed at 6-6, 215 pic.twitter.com/7yOD1SfGuo
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) June 29, 2026
Honestly, I’d be thrilled, too, if my NHL team drafted an 18-year-old forward who stands 6-foot-6 and moves like he’s 6-foot-1. The Blackhawks got a good one.
But so did Michigan State.
Mason West is just one of 10 first-rounders on MSU’s roster
Yes, you read that correctly, Michigan State has 10 first-rounders on its 2026-27 roster and Tommy Bleyl helped the Spartans reach double-digits on Monday when he announced that he’d be coming to East Lansing this year instead of 2027-28 like originally planned.
Bleyl became the 10th first-rounder to join the 2026-27 roster, joining these guys:
- Cullen Potter (Arizona State transfer)
- Chase Reid
- Jack Hextall
- Ryker Lee
- Cayden Lindstrom
- Joshua Ravensbergen
- Ethan Belchetz
- Nikita Klepov
- Mason West
Since this whole story is about West, let’s look at what he’s bringing to Michigan State.
According to Elite Prospects, West is a “fluid skater” and “natural shooter” with an imposing frame. He scored 10 goals with 15 assists in 38 games with the Fargo Force in 2025-26 that followed up a 10-game stretch the previous season after his time with Edina High in Minnesota in which he had nine points with the USHL team.
West is going to be a really good goal-scorer for Michigan State this season; Adam Nightingale isn’t going to have a shortage of those.
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