LEWISTON – The fog settled slowly over the crisp, white ice. Anxious players sat on the edge of the boards near the benches, swinging their legs in anticipation while eager fans filtered through the freshly-painted doors and into the Central Maine Civic Center.

The arena may not be entirely renovated and the team is far from being finalized, but for the Lewiston Maineiacs and their growing number of fans, Monday was indeed a milestone.

For the first time, the team took to the ice – first for a morning skate and then for three round robin games that were open to the public.

“I was surprised to see this many people here for intersquad games,” said 19-year-old goaltender Matt Davis. “This is a great thing to see. It shows that people here care, and that means this place very well could be rockin’ for regular season games. That’s what we like to see.”

Final attendance numbers were unavailable for the first open-to-the-public session, but seven sections on the right side of the arena were filled with people, some already bearing the Maineiacs’ logo on hats, T-shirts and golf shirts.

“You can tell the kids are here to play,” said Ernie Gagne, 44, of Lewiston. “My father was here earlier today, and he doesn’t get excited too often, and he came home telling me all about it and how good it was. This is good hockey and it’ll be good for this area.”

On the ice, the prospective Maineiacs put on a show for those gathered, even throwing in a few fights. Although no one was hurt, fighting for some of the players shows their willingness to do whatever it takes to earn a spot on the 23-man roster.

Aside from the fights, goal scoring was the main attraction, lifting people from their wooden, royal blue seats and drawing applause.

“These kids are absolutely terrific, especially for their age group,” said Norm Paquette, 67, of Lewiston. “Their skating is outstanding, and they never stopped hustling.”

And then there is the historical perspective. The building, built in the 1950s, is in the midst of its first major renovation since the Maine Nordiques played there in 1973.

“You can just tell,” said Davis, who had never been in the building. “This place has the feel of a great old rink. I love the feel of older rinks. There is just so much room and they get really loud.”

“At first, it didn’t look great from the outside,” said Brandon Roach, a member of last year’s Sherbrooke Castors team. “Then you get inside, it looks like something you only see in the movies now.”

For the fans, the renovations and the new team have brought a new perspective on an old building and an old idea.

“There is a lot of history in this building,” said Larry Gilbert Jr., 23, of Lewiston. “Knowing the history, hearing people talk about it, and now knowing that this is here is great. Many people in this town have a rich Quebec heritage. This is something this generation can call its own and still trace back to Canada, and hopefully we can for years to come.”

jpelletier@sunjournal.com

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