The Portland Pirates’ dressing room is getting a bit more crowded this weekend.
The Arizona Coyotes, the Pirates’ NHL parent club, released seven players Thursday, six of which will report to Portland.
The Coyotes sent forwards Jordan Szwarz, Lucas Lessio, and Tobias Rieder, defensemen Brandon Gormley and Andrew Campbell and goalie Louis Domingue to the AHL They also sent Max Domi back to London of the Ontario Hockey League.
The move leaves the Coyotes with 25 players in camp, two above the limit allowed to begin the season.
Most of the players headed Portland’s way this week spent time with the Pirates a year ago. Jordan Szwarz served as the team’s captain in 2013-14, though he played only 27 games in the AHL. He also played 26 games for the Coyotes, scoring three goals.
Lessio led the Pirates in goals last season and was among the league’s rookie leaders in scoring. Rieder was second on the team in goal-scoring a year ago, Gormley is regarded as one of the top defensive prospects in the Coyotes’ organization, and Campbell played last year for Manchester, serving as the Monarchs’ captain.
Domingue is one of a handful of goalies in the organization vying for time this season, alongside Mark Visentin, Adam Brown and veteran Mike McKenna. Camp continues Friday for the team, which plays its two preseason contests Saturday (at Cross Insurance Arena in Portland) and Sunday (at St. Anselm College in Manchester, N.H.).
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