Sen. Susan Collins has done her part to support the Lewiston Maineiacs. Now it’s our turn.

Late Friday, the senator’s bill to change the visa status for professional minor-league athletes in the United States was approved by the House of Representatives. The change places minor-leaguers and major-leaguers in the same visa category for immigration purposes.

Before, minor-league athletes of all ilks were lumped into the same non-immigrant visa category as seasonal hotel and restaurant workers. Amounts of H-2B visas, as they’re known, are limited, and the U.S. has hit its quota early in past years, leaving Maineiacs players, coaches and fans, in bureaucratic limbo.

Because of this snarl, the Maineiacs have yet to open their season at home in Lewiston, and have been subject to extended road trips crisscrossing Canada during the season’s earliest weeks while awaiting special federal waivers or the new visa application deadline. Collins’ efforts will change that.

“Our professional athletes should not be sidelined by red tape,” the senator said. “I’m glad that the Maineiacs players and coaches will no longer end up sitting on the bench before every season, wondering if they will get the visa they need to come to this country to play.”

Opening Day – in any sport – is magical, regardless if you prefer the double in the gap, the three-four defense, the pick-and-roll or the odd-man rush. Collins’ legislation means Lewiston should now be able to host Opening Day for its hometown team, which Maineiacs fans should enthusiastically support.

It’s a team worth supporting. The Maineiacs are coming off an improbable 13-game winning streak, and are dominating the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. They’re arguably the coolest team on Maine ice right now, strong words considering the perennial national powerhouse we have in Orono.

The city, in crafting methods to keep the Maineiacs in Lewiston, agreed to an attendance clause, under the rationale that the team would thrive, or fail, based on public support of the team’s presence. It was a controversial decision, but it’s proven successful, and become a feather in City Hall’s cap.

And the Maineiacs, as evidenced by their stellar play this year, are giving the Twin Cities a product in which to take pride. About 2,500 fans are attending each home game at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee, and the team deserves to see many more during this amazing season. If you haven’t made it to the Colisee yet, now’s the time.

Since, the way it’s going, Lewiston could be hosting a champion’s season-opener next year.