By The Lightning prospects opened their 2026 development camp this week in Brandon.
The team’s social media accounts were quiet on Day 1, with no roster updates after the 2026 NHL Draft and no videos or photos from on-ice or off-ice practices.
By Day 2, fans finally got some visuals. The camp roster features nearly the entire 2026 draft class, including second-round forward Oleg Kulebiakin, third-round defenseman Tomas Kralovic, fifth-round forwards Morgan Anderberg and Cooper Soller, and seventh-round defenseman Max Vilen. But there was one unexpected addition.
Family ties
Anthony Thomas-Maroon is attending the Lightning development camp as an invitee. The 17-year-old forward is the son of former Bolts forward Pat Maroon.
Anthony played the 2025-26 season with the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL, recording two goals and 19 points in 59 games.
It’s an interesting story, but it also raises a question: why was he invited to the camp?
Development camp invitations are limited, and every invite means another player misses out on an opportunity. Looking at Anthony’s numbers, it’s fair to wonder what made him stand out. Is this the type of season that normally earns a USHL player an invitation to an NHL development camp? Or did having a father who won two Stanley Cups with the Lightning help open the door?
For perspective, the USHL’s leading scorer during the 2025-26 season, Alex Pelletier, finished with 48 goals and 85 points in 59 games. That data shows why some fans may question the criteria used to select an atypical participant.
Borderlines
For comparison, the Edmonton Oilers invited three women’s hockey players to their development camp this summer. The organization’s goal was to support women’s hockey and provide players with a unique NHL development camp experience.
Those ladies brought impressive resumes. Caitlin Kraemer competed for Canada’s U18 National Team. Abbey Murphy is an Olympic gold medalist with Team USA and was selected second overall by the Seattle Torrent in the 2026 PWHL Draft. Chloe Primerano, one of Canada’s top young defensemen, narrowly missed making Canada’s 2026 Olympic team and is expected to be a top prospect for the 2028 PWHL Draft.
The difference is that Edmonton publicly explained the purpose of those invitations.
That doesn’t mean a former player’s son isn’t deserving of the opportunity, but it does raise questions. There are many USHL players who posted stronger numbers last season and were not invited to NHL development camps.
This isn’t a criticism of a young athlete. He didn’t choose his last name. The question is whether every player has an equal chance of earning a development camp invitation, or whether family connections can sometimes make a difference.
