The Portland Pirates released defenseman Nick Tuzzolino and forwards Mark Voakes and John Scrymgeour from their professional tryout contracts Monday.

According to team spokesman Mark Jeanerette, all three players returned to their ECHL teams.

Also, Portland defenseman T.J. Brennan began serving an automatic three-game suspension for shooting the puck at referee David Banfield following a 5-2 loss to the Manchester Monarchs Saturday night.

Brennan, who sat out Sunday’s 4-2 loss to the Connecticut Whale, will be eligible to return Friday against the Providence Bruins in Rhode Island.

The Pirates were on the road Monday and Coach Kevin Dineen was unavailable to comment.

Portland – which has already clinched a playoff berth and holds a one-point lead over the Monarchs in the AHL’s Atlantic Division – plays the Worcester Sharks tonight.

Tuzzolino, Voakes and Scrymgeour were returned to their ECHL teams in time to play in the Kelly Cup playoffs.

Tuzzolino, who scored and had an assist in 20 games with the Pirates, returned to the Utah Grizzlies, who start a best-of-five Western Conference series against the Stockton Thunder tonight.

Voakes, who had six goals and five assists and a plus-8 rating in 15 games with Portland, returned to the top-seeded Greenville Road Warriors, who start their Eastern Conference series against the Elmira Jackals tonight.

Scrymgeour, who was scoreless in three games with the Pirates, returned to the Reading Royals, who start their Eastern Conference series against the Cincinnati Cyclones tonight.

Last Saturday, Portland signed former University of Maine defenseman Jeff Dimmen, the University of Denver’s Kyle Ostrow and Corey Fienhage, a 20-year-old defenseman from the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League, to amateur tryout contracts.

Fienhage has not made his AHL debut.

 

Staff Writer Paul Betit can be contacted at 791-6424 or at: pbetit@pressherald.com