The Phoenix Coyotes announced Friday they have assigned forwards Nick Johnson and Rob Klinkhammer and defenseman Michael Stone to the Portland Pirates of the American Hockey League.

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Johnson has played five games with the Idaho Steelheads this season, collecting one assist. Last season, Johnson set career highs in games played (77), goals (8), assists (18), points (26) and penalty minutes (45) with the Minnesota Wild.

The 27-year-old native of Calgary, Alberta was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the third round (No. 67) of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.

The 6-foot-3, 214-pound Klinkhammer has played 38 games with Portland this season, recording nine goals, 31 points and 26 penalty minutes. The 26-year-old native of Lethbridge, Alberta played 15 games with the Ottawa Senators in 2011-12, collecting two assists.

The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Stone has recorded six goals, 22 points and 16 PIMs in 31 games with the Portland Pirates this season.

The 22-year-old native of Winnipeg, Manitoba played in 13 games for the Coyotes last season posting one goal and three points in 13 games. He appeared in two games of the Western Conference Finals during the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The defenseman also recorded nine goals, 22 points and 24 PIMs in 51 games with Portland in 2011-12. Stone was originally drafted by the Coyotes in the third round (No. 69) in the 2008 NHL Draft.

The Calgary Flames announced Friday they have signed forward Steve Begin, who was originally drafted by the team in 1996 and hasn't played in the NHL since early in the 2010-11 season.

Begin signed a one-year, two-way deal worth $525,000 at the NHL level.

His last NHL action came when he played in a pair of games for the Predators two seasons ago. He spent most of that season with their AHL affiliate in Milwaukee and was out of hockey last season.

Begin, 34, was a second-round pick (No. 40) by the Flames and played parts of five seasons for the team. He has also skated for the Canadiens, Stars and Bruins, posting career totals of 52 goals, 100 points and 539 penalty minutes in 488 games.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have reassigned forwards Mike Angelidis, JT Wyman and Kyle Wilson to the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League.

In addition defenseman Matt Taormina was placed on injured reserve.

The Lightning have their roster set at 23 players, not including defenseman Mattias Ohlund who is on injured reserve.

Hours after signing Wade Redden, the St. Louis Blues announced they had released Colin White, another veteran defenseman who had come to training camp hoping to make the team.

White, 35, appeared in 54 games for the San Jose Sharks last season posting one goal, four points and 21 penalty minutes.

The 6-foot-3, 215-pound White is a veteran of 12 NHL seasons, including 11 with the New Jersey Devils, where he won the Stanley Cup in 2000 and 2003. Overall, White has dressed in 797 career games amassing 21 goals, 129 points and 869 penalty minutes as well as three goals and 17 points in 114 career playoff games.

The New Glasgow, Nova Scotia native was originally drafted by New Jersey in the second round (No. 49) of the 1996 NHL Draft.

The Winnipeg Jets claimed forward James Wright off waivers Friday from the Florida Panthers.

Wright, 22, has played in 40 games with the San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League so far this season. In that time, the Saskatoon, SK native has recorded five goals, 17 points and 31 penalty minutes.

The 6-foot-3 forward has played in 49 NHL games all with the Tampa Bay Lightning where he totaled two goals and five points.

Wright began his major junior career with the Vancouver Giants where he played four seasons, winning the Memorial Cup with the club in 2007. He was originally drafted by the Lightning in the fourth round of the 2008 NHL Draft.

The Calgary Flames have reduced their roster to 26 players by reassigning center Paul Bryon and defenseman Brett Carson to the Abbotsford Heat of the American Hockey League, while goaltender Henrik Karlsson has been designated for assignment but remains with the team.

The Flames have two goalies, nine defensemen and 15 forwards remaining in camp. Teams must finalize their 23-man roster for opening night by 5 p.m. ET Friday.

Defenseman Morgan Rielly will not start the season with the Toronto Maple Leafs and along with forward Matt Frattin was among the team's final cuts to get down to the opening night 23-man roster.

Rielly, the fifth pick in the 2012 NHL Draft, put up 28 points in 33 games this season playing junior hockey for the Moose Jaw Warriors of the Western Hockey League, and will be returned to his junior team.

"Morgan played pretty well in a short camp, but he wasn't given an opportunity to play in [preseason] games," Maple Leafs general manager Dave Nonis told the National Post. "We need to get ready to play, and it's pretty tough to put an 18-year-old player in the lineup without actually seeing him play."

Veteran forward Tim Connolly has been assigned to the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League after clearing waivers. Also assigned there were defenseman Mike Mottau and forward Ryan Hamilton.

Multiple media reports are indicating the Buffalo Sabres will break camp with 18-year-old Mikhail Grigorenko on their roster.

Grigorenko was the No. 12 pick in the 2012 NHL Draft after compiling 40 goals and 85 points last season in 59 games for the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

John Vogl of the Buffalo News tweeted Friday that Sabres general manager Darcy Regier announced Grigorenko would be on the final roster. Colleague Mark Harrington added that Regier said it would be a "coach's decision" as to whether he is in the lineup against the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday afternoon (12:30 p.m. ET, NBC, TSN).

Forwards Nathan Gerbe and Cody McCormick will begin the season on injured reserve, it was also reported.

Defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky, who has not yet reported to the New York Islanders, was suspended by the team on Friday, the Islanders announced.

The Islanders have also reportedly claimed defenseman Brian Strait off waivers from the Pittsburgh Penguins, which would put them at the 23-man roster limit teams must reach by 5 p.m. ET Friday.

Visnovsky, acquired in an offseason trade from the Anaheim Ducks, has been playing in the Kontinental Hockey League in his native Slovakia during the lockout. He expressed the desire to continue playing there even with the 2012-13 NHL season set to get under way on Saturday, but the KHL has reportedly denied his request to extend his contract through the rest of this season.

Neil Sheehy, Visnovsky's agent, tweeted earlier in the week that his client intended to report to the Islanders after dealing with some personal issues.

Visnovsky, 36, is a veteran of 11 NHL seasons with the Kings, Oilers and Ducks. He has career totals of 117 goals and 450 points in 771 games.

Strait, 25, has played in 12 NHL games with the Penguins over the past two seasons, recording one assist.

Alex Kovalev has made the opening night roster for the Florida Panthers.

Kovalev signed a one-year contract with the Panthers that Bob McKenzie is reporting is worth $1 million and also contains bonuses for games played.

Kovalev came to camp with Florida on a tryout contract after playing last season in the Kontinental Hockey League. He last played in the NHL at the end of the 2010-11 season with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Teams must announce their 23-man rosters for opening night by 5 p.m. ET Friday.