LEWISTON – Lewiston Maineiacs’ majority owner Mark Just made his third appearance of the season at the Colisee this weekend, and was pleased with what he saw.
“There’s just no comparison,” said Just about the team’s progress. “Just the fact that people know our players, react to them and get emotional about them and with them, that’s just fantastic. Last year at the opener, there was polite applause for the home-town team, but this year you can feel the energy, and when the names are said, people react. There’s a feeling of possession, of pride.”
Just said the expectation was that by the third year, the team’s impact on the community would take off.
“By what I see now, we’ll be right on,” said Just.
He called into comparison PEI’s numbers this season because the two teams relocated in the same off-season. In attendance, Lewiston is now ahead of the Rocket.
“The thing is, when they first moved, people there already knew the product, so attendance was higher at first,” said Just. “But now, people here know the product, and the team is doing very well.”
Lewiston has seen a 32 percent increase in attendance over last season, while PEI has nearly stagnated, bringing in just 6.7 percent more fans.
Just also commented on some players he thought had made a surprising but welcome impression.
“Castonguay has been a very pleasant surprise, I think,” said Just. “For a late-round pick, he has that knack for finding the net. Daneau has a great future, I think, and our two young defensemen that we picked up late, Cameron and Piche, I think they have shown a lot already. Maxime Mathieu has the potential to be a leader here, too. He always steps up in every situation. He’s a winner. Those are the kinds of kids you win championships with.”
Coaching friends
Maineiacs’ coach Clem Jodoin and PEI coach Alain Vigneault have more in common than a game against each other Saturday at the Colisee.
The two worked behind the bench together at the Molson Center in Montreal for three years with the Montreal Canadiens – Vigneault as head coach and Jodoin as one of the team of assistants.
“I sat with him during their skate today,” said Jodoin of Vigneault. “We talk together all the time.”
Following the game, Vigneault gave credit to Jodoin for his coaching ability, noting that “any team Clement coaches will have a chance to win games.”
The two will again meet Friday at PEI.
Back on track?
Alex Bourret returned to the lineup Saturday after serving a two-game suspension for a high-sticking call in Chicoutimi. While he did stay out of the penalty box Saturday, Bourret also seemed less into the game than during the prior weekend’s games.
In the third period, Bourret tried to make a pass for Alexandre Picard, but the pass was weaker than a normal Bourret pass, and PEI’s Greg O’Brien picked it off and raced in 2-on-1 on Bernier. That play resulted in the only PEI goal of the game, a shorthanded tally from the middle of the slot.
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