Ray Edwards will be wearing another hat, and the Portland Pirates will once again be developing players for the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League in a new agreement announced Wednesday.

Edwards, who has coached the Pirates for three seasons under the affiliation with the Coyotes, will now also be the team’s general manager. He replaces Brad Treliving, who is now the GM of the NHL’s Calgary Flames.

“I am looking forward to my additional responsibilities as the general Manager,” Edwards said in a news release Wednesday. “We want to build this team not only to provide the Coyotes with great players but also to provide the fans here in Portland with a winning team both on and off the ice.”

The team finished last in the American Hockey League standings in 2013-14 while playing its home games at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee, an arrangement that made travel to home games bothersome for many in the organization, though no one used it as an excuse for the team’s poor record.

In 228 games as head coach for Portland, Edwards is 101-100-10-17. He has a lifetime head coaching record of 171-156-17-26 at the AHL level with San Antonio and Portland, all as a Coyotes affiliate.

Next season will be the fourth in the partnership between the two franchises.

“We are thrilled to renew our affiliation agreement with the Phoenix Coyotes,” Brad Church, Pirates COO, said. “They have been a great partner for the last three seasons and we have built a strong relationship with the organization. We’re excited that the Coyotes will send their top prospects to Maine once again as we return to the Cumberland County Civic Center.”

The new agreement is a one-year deal.

“We are very pleased to renew our partnership with the Portland Pirates,” Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney said. “We are excited about playing our home games next season at the renovated Cumberland County Civic Center and are determined to put a winning team on the ice. Ray Edwards and his staff do a great job developing our prospects in Portland, one of the best hockey markets in the American Hockey League.”

This season, five Pirates made their NHL debut with the Coyotes and a total of 14 players played for both teams during 2013-14. During the three-year affiliation, 26 players have played for both the Coyotes and Pirates, including Coyotes standouts Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Michael Stone, Rob Klinkhammer, and two-time Pirates Most Valuable Player Andy Miele.

In addition to Edwards, Pirates assistant coach John Slaney, equipment manager John Krouse, and athletic trainer Mike Booi have each signed extensions with the team. Slaney will return to the Pirates for his fourth season as assistant coach after being inducted into the American Hockey League Hall of Fame during the 2013-14 season. Krouse will begin his seventh season as the equipment manager for the Coyotes’ top affiliate, while Booi will return for his fourth season as the Pirates’ athletic trainer.

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