LEWISTON – This one seemed to come from out of nowhere.

With most of the trade attention in the past three weeks focused on Lewiston Maineiacs’ defenseman Jonathan Paiement and forward Alexandre Picard, a deal involving anyone else, while not entirely unexpected, seemed unlikely.

Coach and general manager Clem Jodoin thought so, too. In fact, late Friday night, following the team’s game against Cape Breton, Jodoin was ready to call it a trade period without making a single deal.

And then came the phone call on Saturday morning.

“Honest to God there was nothing at all going on (Friday) night,” said Jodoin. “(Saturday) morning it just popped up. I got the phone call.”

The deal, to Jodoin, was nearly irresistible, and he pulled the trigger.

Lewiston sent 19-year-old defenseman Travis Mealy, an invitee to camp in the team’s first year in Lewiston, and a sixth-round draft pick at the 2005 QMJHL entry draft to Rouyn-Noranda in exchange for 16-year-old defenseman Sebastien Piche and the Huskies’ 10th-round pick at the 2005 draft.

“I talked to everyone in the organization this morning,” said Jodoin. “I talked to all of the scouts (the team has nearly a dozen scouts scattered across the region). It wasn’t a one-man decision, and we felt that this move was the best for the team, for this year and for next year.”

In 42 games this season, Mealy had two goals and eight assists for 10 points, 40 penalty minutes and was a minus-14. Last year, the Huskies got a good look at the Brandon, Manitoba native in the playoffs. In the teams’ seven-game series last Spring, Mealy played in all seven games, had two assists and 10 penalty minutes, and was a minus-3. Last regular season, Mealy had three assists and was a minus-14, accumulating 87 penalty minutes.

The player the Maineiacs picked up, Piche, is just 16. He was a fourth-found pick in last year’s entry draft by the Huskies, and has seen just two games of QMJHL action this season, registering no points. According to the Web site for the Amos Forestiers, where he currently plays, Piche is 5-feet-11-inches tall and weighs 175 pounds. In 26 games this season, Piche has six goals and 21 assists for 27 points, along with 42 penalty minutes.

According to Jodoin, Piche will not join the Maineiacs immediately due to visa issues, but will in fact join the club as soon as possible. Meanwhile, Jonathan Cameron, recalled Friday from his AAA team, will join the club this weekend and will play as the team’s sixth defenseman until Piche is able to cross the border.

“This is all over now,” said Jodoin. “Now it’s time to get back to hockey.”

League Notes: One of the biggest names to move in the last three weeks moved at the last minute Saturday as PEI sent goaltender Jonathan Boutin to the Quebec Remparts. In return, the Remparts traded defenseman Louis-Philippe Lachance and goaltender Jean-Francois Bernard, as well as their second-round pick at the 2005 entry draft to PEI.

Other big movers on Saturday included the Victoriaville Tigres, who completed three separate deals on the final day.

First, the Tigres sent goaltender Jeremy Duchesne to the Halifax Mooseheads. In return, Halifax sent Victoriaville their fifth-round choice in the 2006 entry draft. Then, the Tigres traded forward Justin Belanger to the Chicoutimi Sagueneens. In return, the Sags traded defenseman Gabriel Houde-Brisson to the Tigres. Finally, the Tigres sent defenseman Tommy Lafontaine and their fifth-round pick at the 2005 entry draft (acquired from Gatineau), to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. In return, the Titan traded center Nicolas Laplante to the Tigres.

Quebec also completed a second deal on Saturday, sending defenseman Nathan Welton to Moncton for defensemen Guillaume Veilleux and Sebastien Bernier and the Wildcats’ first and fourth-round picks at the 2006 entry draft.

Moncton concluded the day of trades by unloading surplus 20-year-old Luke Pelham to Gatineau for the Olympiques’ third-round pick at the 2005 entry draft.