LEWISTON – The lights at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee flickered, and the emergency bulbs, half as bright, popped on.

David Perron’s shadow was long against the ice, his Lewiston Maineiacs having long since disappeared into the locker room.

At the blue line, Perron set up three pucks, less than three feet apart, in a triangle, and at full speed stick-handled another puck through the triangle. Each time he knocked against one of the stationary discs, Perron grunted. He replaced the puck and continued.

And continued.

Twenty minutes later, the Maineiacs’ locker room was nearly empty. Perron, having taken a multitude of shots at an empty net, trying to hit the posts, finally gathered the remaining pucks and skated off the ice. He looked back. His face bore the guilt of a perfectionist who hadn’t quite achieved his goal.

“Every day, he is on the ice early before practice,” said Maineiacs’ head coach and general manager Clem Jodoin. “Every day, he is on the ice after practice like that, always working, always wanting to get better.”

At 18, Perron is old for a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League rookie. A year earlier, teams passed on him after he told some people he was exploring opportunities in the NCAA. He reconsidered, though, and entered his name into the 2006 draft. The Maineiacs selected him in the 6th round. He was the only 1988-born player selected.

“It was not a surprise to us,” said Jodoin. “Our scouts knew he is a good player, and we knew we wanted to go after him.”

Perron wasted little time in showing what was in store. After dazzling the fans with a display of speed and stickhandling in training camp and intrasquad games, Perron scored two goals in every preseason game he played.

“To me, he was the biggest surprise in camp,” said Jodoin. “We knew he could play, but this was a great preseason for him.”

That success has followed him into the regular season.

Perron leads the team with eight goals in 12 games, and is third behind Marc-Andre Cliche and defenseman Chad Denny with 13 points. He is seventh in the league among rookies and he leads all rookies, and the Maineiacs, with a 30.8 shooting percentage.

“I just try to find the openings when I can,” Perron said of his scoring prowess. “I always try to find the open ice that give me the best chance to score.”

“He’s playing like a veteran,” said 20-year-old veteran Simon Courcelles, who skates with Perron on regular shifts. “He’s 18, and he controls the puck with confidence, and that helps out the team.”

Perron said he’s always been a scoring forward, but he also is quick to credit his teammates for finding him open.

He has also taken on a new role as a quarterback on the team’s power play. Once slumping, the Maineiacs’ power play has come alive in recent games, going six for its last 22.

Perron refuses to rest on his accomplishments, even as they continue to grow.

“I can still get better, of course,” said Perron. “I just have to keep working hard. Hopefully, I can help the team win.”