The Providence Bruins will open their preseason schedule Wednesday night in Marlborough, Mass., at the New England Sports Center when they host the Worcester Sharks.
With six more players assigned to Providence by Boston Wednesday morning, the P-Bruins currently showcase a 33-man squad, including 17 forwards, 13 defensemen and three goaltenders.
The club's two-game preseason schedule leaves little time for bubble players to make their mark in front of coaches Rob Murray and Bruce Cassidy, but that challenge begins with several perceived Providence regulars getting a night off.
Among the spectators are forwards Jamie Arniel, Joe Colborne, Zach Hamill, Jeff LoVecchio, Jeremy Reich and Wyatt Smith, along with defensemen Yury Alexandrov, Andrew Bodnarchuk, Steve Kampfer, Nathan McIver, Jeff Penner and Cody Wild.
Many from the aforementioned group played Tuesday night for Boston in the parent club's 3-2 loss in Washington.
Also out is goalie Michael Hutchinson, who will battle with Matt Dalton and Adam Courchaine for what currently stands as two vacancies in net for the P-Bruins. The two openings, of course, will drop to one upon Nolan Schaefer's return to Rhode Island.
That leaves Wednesday night's contest between Providence and Worcester as one that will feature several unfamiliar faces looking to make names for themselves with the first batch of cuts on the horizon.
The forwards will be Alain Goulet (normally a defenseman), Jordan Knackstedt, Lane MacDermid, Kirk MacDonald, Levi Nelson, Yannick Riendeau, Antoine Roussel, Max Sauve, Jordan Smotherman and tryout players Casey Haines, Devin Timberlake and Walker Wintoneak.
On defense, the team will use Ryan Donald and a handful of tryouts: Jack Christian, Matt Delahey, Matt Generous, Brandon Gentile and Todd Perry.
In goal, Dalton will get the starting nod with Courchaine backing him up.
Among the Sharks who may dress Wednesday night are Massachusetts natives Rob Bellamy, Cory Quirk, Steve McClellan, Doug Rogers and Sean Sullivan, along with many players with local ties like Chris Auger (UMass-Lowell), Justin Braun (UMass-Amherst), Jordan Cyr (Holy Cross), Carter Hutton (UMass-Lowell), Matt Irwin (UMass-Amherst), James Marcou (UMass-Amherst), Jody Pederson (P-Bruins) and Nick Schaus (UMass-Lowell).
The game begins at 7:05 p.m.
