LEWISTON – The reason that an article appeared in a French-language newspaper this week about drug use in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League may have more to do with a political agenda than with an actual concern about the players’ safety.

According to sources close to the league, the agent quoted in most of the stories that have circulated on the topic is Gilles Lupien, one of the first French-Canadian agents in the business. Several years ago, Lupien was the go-to agent for most of the NHL’s top French-speaking players, but in recent years his stronghold on that share of the market has dwindled.

“When an agent tells you something, you really have to figure out why he would be saying anything at all,” said Maineiacs owner Mark Just. “Why is it that a former player in the NHL and current agent feels that the QMJHL is much more guilty than the rest of the Major Junior leagues? There seem to be negative vibes between the agent and the league, mainly because many of the league’s players don’t sign with that particular agent anymore.”

The article itself in La Presse quoted two league sources, commissioner Gilles Courteau and director of doctors Dr. Jean-Luc Betit, both of which were quoted with reactionary statements.

The study, procured over “several weeks” according to the paper, seems to be based on nothing more than agents and scouts.

“A few years back, maybe six or seven, there was a group of agents and scouts that were unhappy with the league and with commissioner Courteau,” said Stephane Leroux, a well-respected Canadian sports broadcaster. “It makes several years now that we refuse to speak with these people, which include Mr. Lupien. They always seem to be wanting to get rid of Mr. Courteau.”

“You really have to consider your sources,” said Just. “I don’t want to sound like I’m not aware of the problem as it faces society, and I would be naive to think that it doesn’t exist at all, but as far as this recent information and the numbers, I really would consider the source. When you hear information from a source that isn’t credible, in any medium, I would hope that you look at who the source is and that you can figure things out from that.”

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