By Justin Pelletier,Staff Writer
Six members of the Lewiston Maineiacs have extra incentive after missing parts of last season injured.

LEWISTON – You can’t tell that Maxime Mathieu wears a brace to play hockey because it tucks neatly beneath his shin guard.

Derek Bailey has been busy this week delivering punishing hits and feathering passes from the boards into the middle while carving sharp turns on a leg that last year was mush for several weeks. he appears OK, but after each skate, he applies ice.

Marc-Andre Cliche’s 2004-05 season may be more remembered for the time that he missed rather than the eight points he scored in just 19 games played, and Mathieu Aubin is still wondering what might have been in a season during which he played in 49 games and notched 45 points.

Michal Korenko had to sit and watch the last half of the season with a broken arm, and Brandon Roach missed most of the playoffs with a leg injury. All six of those players are healthy – for now – and they all of the feel like they have something to prove, even if they are trying to forget the past.

“During the off-season, they had to work hard,” said Maineiacs head coach and general manager Clem Jodoin. “They had to work hard to strengthen their weaknesses.”

Many of the players that remained healthy last season came back to camp this year with added muscle mass. This group was happy to return in perfect health. The rest, they said, will come later.

“I couldn’t walk for two months after I had my surgery,” said Bailey, who left at midseason with a torn meniscus. “I did some physical therapy here, and I went home and slowly I was able to start walking on it, but it took a while. I’m a little out of shape now, but give me a couple of weeks and I’ll be back up with everyone else.”

Despite being injured, two of the players – Aubin and Cliche – were drafted by NHL teams. Cliche said he was “surprised” to go in the second round to the New York Rangers, while Aubin went late to the Montreal Canadiens.

“I didn’t even think I would be drafted at all,” said Cliche. “I was worried because I had missed so much time.”

“I had to work out hard this summer, for sure,” added Aubin. “I had a personal trainer help me work on my shoulder and my arm is perfectly healed.”

All of last year’s walking wounded have made strides over the summer, and most of them are back to 100 percent. Mentally, though, it is going to be a challenge the next time they are faced with situations similar to those in which they were previously injured.

“Sometimes when someone is right behind me against the boards I think about it,” said Korenko, whose arm snapped after an awkward collision against the boards last season. “But the injury is behind me, and I have new life. It is a new season.”

“If you think about it, your game is going to change,” said Jodoin. “That’s not what we need. They have to be ready to play the same game they played before their injury, and better.”

Mathieu’s knee still smarts. He reinjured it during a hockey camp in Chicoutimi this summer, but he has played without pain so far this week. Bailey feels likewise, but admits he is “three or four months away” from being 100 percent.

Korenko, aside from a few extra thoughts in the corners, is 100 percent healed, as is Roach, who will be looked at for leadership this season.

Aubin and Cliche also insist that they are ready.

“(The Rangers) took a chance on me at the draft,” said Cliche. “Now I am ready, and I have to show them what I can do. I don’t want them to regret their decision.”

“People will look more at my performance now, because of the injury last season,” said Aubin. “The scouts will watch me to see if I improve after the injury, so I need to keep working hard. I am glad to have it behind me and I look forward to playing a full season and to helping the team all year.”