LEWISTON – Not since the Maineiacs traded Maxime Robert away to begin the 2004-05 campaign has a Lewiston skater made a noticeable impact in the faceoff circle.

Twenty-year-old Simon Courcelles is changing that, and on Sunday he got a chance to show his old teammates what he could do for his new team.

“He played a good game, he played well and was solid on the faceoffs,” said Quebec Remparts’ coach Patrick Roy. “He played well on the PK, too. He’s having a defensive role with this Lewiston team, and I think he looks very happy out there.”

Courcelles captained the Remparts to the 2006 Memorial Cup, but was acquired by Lewiston in an offseason trade.

“You always want to beat the old team you played for,” said Courcelles. “Emotionally, it’s something special, it gives you a little extra juice.”

That extra kick showed in the faceoff circle Sunday. Courcelles went 12-for-15 against his old mates, and is among the league leaders, just a shade over 60 percent for the season (104-for-172).

“I think it helps on faceoffs the most,” said Courcelles. “We all practiced together while I was there, so when it comes to faceoffs, I know how they are, and I get pretty confident when I get down in the circle.”

Roy admitted Sunday that it was difficult to let Courcelles go, but the decision was one that had to be made.

“It’s hard to let go of any players who were on a Memorial Cup team,” said Roy. “It just comes down to having to make big decisions, and sometimes you have to let some guys go, but I’m glad things are going well for him here. Lewiston seems to have a pretty good team. It will be interesting to see how things go from here.”

Courcelles had equally positive comments for his former coach and his team.

“He’s a living legend,” said Courcelles. “He’s done a lot for the sport, and now he’s giving back by coaching. He brings a lot of intensity to his team and that’s how they play, and that’s how they win, too. They’re always in the game, and Patrick’s always pushing them to be better.”

Still, Courcelles was all smiles after his new team swept the two-game season series between the two clubs Sunday night.

“This team’s coming along well,” Courcelles said of the Maineiacs. “We keep getting better and better as we play together, and that means good things for the future.”