The Washington Capitals announced on Friday morning that they have returned defenseman Vincent Iorio to the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey League (WHL). The Wheat Kings 2021-22 regular season begins tonight when they host the Winnipeg Ice.

Iorio participated in the Capitals development camp in addition to playing in one preseason game during the Capitals 2021 training camp.

#Caps have reduced their training camp roster to 48 players.

Vincent Iorio been assigned to the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey League.

Click here for the updated training camp roster: https://t.co/24ZL2jLwbV

— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) October 1, 2021

The Capitals selected Iorio in the second round (55th overall) of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. Iorio, born on November 14, 2002 in Coquitlam, British Columbia, played his last three seasons with the Brandon Wheat Kings.

This past season, Iorio (pronounced EYE-Oreo) scored five goals and recorded seven assists for 12 points overall in just 22 games for the Wheat Kings. Additionally, he played heavy minutes on their second defensive pairing.

In 2019-20, Iorio scored four goals and 17 assists in 59 games, recording 21 points overall. During his first year with the team, he had a goal and four assists. There was a good chance he would have exceeded his career-high in overall points in 2020-21, but the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Current Training Camp Roster

The Capitals training camp roster is now down to 48 players. 28 forwards, 15 defensemen and five goaltenders: [Click to enlarge]

The Capitals return to preseason action on Saturday night when they visit the Philadelphia Flyers. Puck drop is set for just after 7:00PM.

By Jon Sorensen