If the winds blowing outside during an otherwise perfect summer day Wednesday seemed to freshen significantly all at once, you might have been feeling a collective sigh of relief coming from north of the border.
With all of the Lewiston Maineiacs players back home, there was little celebrating Wednesday afternoon in Lewiston when the National Hockey League and the NHL Player’s Association ended their 301-day standoff and agreed on a deal to end the lockout. At home, though, many of the players were breathing a little easier.
“I was training all summer anyway,” said Maineiacs forward Alexandre Picard, who was picked eighth last year by the Columbus Blue Jackets. “Finally, it is over. Last year, rookie camp (in Columbus) was in the middle of July, and that is right now, so I think it’s going to be quick that we all have to go. I am waiting for a call from my agent.”
Picard, 20, is likely to play in the AHL this year. Teammate Jonathan Paiement, also 20, has other options, including a return to the Maineiacs. Drafted late by the New York Rangers, Paiement has already been told he will be participating in the team’s camp in early August.
“Maybe now we can all sign,” said Paiement. “Without signing a contract, no one can do anything yet. I think, from what my agent says, I have a good chance to sign with them.”
Some players, like 18-year-old defenseman Chad Denny, will most likely be selected in the draft, which the league has said will be “later this month.”
“All I can do is keep playing and see what happens,” said Denny. “I don’t really think about it.”
Maineiacs’ coach and GM Clem Jodoin was also pleased to see the lockout end. Jodoin had a unique perspective on the ordeal.
“The owners will be in control of the game now,” said Jodoin. “Now, the league will be under control. If you want to play, you will play, and if you don’t want to play, go somewhere else.”
As for the players in the league, Jodoin said he sees an age shift coming soon that will allow many younger players into the league. Some of them may even come from his own team. Brandon Roach, a 20-year-old defenseman, may be offered a pair of free-agent tryouts when teams reconvene, while Paiement may not return. Denny and forward Mathieu Aubin are likely to be drafted early in the draft.
“That’s what this league is, though,” said Jodoin. “We are a developmental league. We get players for two or three years and, hopefully, they move on to bigger and better leagues. For sure, if we have some older players, we will take them and use them, but we may see some of the younger players get a chance this year too.”
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