The Portland Pirates announced its clear day roster on Tuesday and there were several noticeable omissions.

The Clear Day roster contains a maximum of 22 players and only those players listed can compete for the rest of the 2011-12 season and AHL playoffs, except for in cases where the NHL parent club recalls a player, or the AHL team is dealing with injuries or player suspensions.

AHL teams can add to their rosters, signed draft picks and players signed to amateur tryout contract once their respective seasons are complete, which means a play like goalie Mark Visentin could join the Pirates once his junior season with Niagara is complete.

There were several regulars not listed on the clear day, but Pirates General Manger Brad Treliving said that shouldn’t be a concern because the roster was constructed so players who need to play will continue to do so.

Not listed on the clear day roster were Chris Summers, Nick Ross, Evan Bloodoff, Spencer Bennett, Ryan Duncan, Ashton Rome, Corey Svyret, Mark Louis and Marc Cheverie.

“Ryan Duncan will still play the minutes that Ryan Duncan normally plays,” said Treliving. “It’s that way with all the players on the roster. We have some flexibility because of injuries and recalls that allowed us to do some things that we might not have been able to do otherwise, but like with the other 29 teams in the AHL, it’s about manipulating the roster to make that final push.”

The one surprise was the exclusion of defenseman Chris Summers.

Summers played 28 games with the Pirates and while his offensive prowess wasn’t there (2 assists), it was his defensive acumen that earned him a recall to the Phoenix Coyotes, where he’s played 20 games with three assists.

Treliving said they wanted to have Summers available to the Pirates, but injuries to the Coyotes and the fact they burned two of their four available recalls to make Michael Stone and David Rundblad available to Portland force their hand.

The NHL rules dictate that after the NHL trade deadline, the NHL club is only allowed four recalls for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs.

It’s a rule that Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke has been very outspoken about, often calling it an idiotic rule.

Treliving was very much in agreement with Burke’s assertion of that rule.

“It a rule that has outlived its intent – if it had one – and serves no purpose anymore. It’s the craziest rule I’ve ever seen anywhere on Earth. If you can find one that is I’d like to see it.”

Marc Cheverie was assigned to Gwinnett of the ECHL on Monday. In nine games with the Pirates, he posted a 4-3-0 record with a 3.29GAA and a .893 save percentage.

2012 Portland Pirates Clear Day Roster:
Peter Mannino (G)
Justin Pogge (G)
Dean Arsene
Mathieu Beaudoin
Alexandre Bolduc
Mathieu Brodeur
Tyler Eckford
Maxim Goncharov
Brett Hextall
Ryan Hollweg
Colin Long
Brett MacLean
Kenndal McArdle
Andy Miele
Nathan Oystrick
Marc-Antoine Pouliot
David Rundblad
Brett Sterling
Michael Stone
Jordan Szwarz
Matt Watkins
Ethan Werek