The number of players participating in Boston Bruins training camp is shrinking by the day as the organization sent forwards Dalton Bancroft, Dans Locmelis, and John Farinacci were all sent down to AHL Providence on Thursday afternoon.
Defenseman Billy Sweezey will also report to AHL Providence after being cut on Wednesday and passing through the NHL waiver wire.
Bancroft, 24, had the most impressive performance of the bunch throughout camp. The undrafted free agent out of Cornell stood out in his lone preseason appearance, scoring two goals against the Philadelphia Flyers on Sep. 27. This upcoming year in Providence will be his first full season at the professional level.
Like Bancroft, Locmelis also has a limited amount of professional experience, but was perhaps the most intriguing player at Bruins training camp. The 21-year-old has already proven to some extent he’s capable of competing against top competition after playing for his native Latvia in each of the last three IIHF World Championship tournaments. Selected by the Bruins in the fourth round of the 2022 NHL Draft, Locmelis played three seasons at UMass before making his professional debut last season, registering 12 points in six games for the Baby-B’s.
As for Farinacci, he’s no stranger to playing in Providence. The New Jersey native has appeared in a total of 129 games each of over the last two seasons with the P-Bruins. He made his NHL debut last year, scoring a goal in Boston’s regular season finale.
The Bruins have just two more games left on their preseason schedule. They’ll visit the Washington Capitals tonight before hosting the New York Rangers Saturday afternoon.
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