LEWISTON – Pier-Luc Champagne had butterflies.

“It was a weird feeling,” the former Lewiston Maineiac said recently after a return visit to the Androscoggin Bank Colisee. “It was nervous at first, because I was on the other side.”

The Maineiacs traded Champagne, who skated for two years with the team, to the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies during training camp.

“He ran into a numbers game with us a bit here,” said Lewiston assistant coach Jeff Guay. “He played well for us, and we wanted to give him the chance to play somewhere this season.”

The first two months of this season were a bit rough for Champagne.

“He struggled early to settle in to the team and to the system,” said Rouyn-Noranda Coach Andre Tourigny. “He got off to a slow start, but after he sat down for a couple of games, he started to play better.”

Last Saturday, Champagne started the game against the Maineiacs at the Colisee. He took 19 faceoffs – and won 10 of them.

“It was harder at first, adjusting,” said Champagne, “but now I am having a better time with the team. I am comfortable with my role here.”

After the game, the Huskies were done for the holiday break, and Champagne parents were in town. He said at the time he hadn’t decided whether or not to spend any additional time in Lewiston, but a visit with his former billet family was certainly on the schedule.

“I had a good time here, I liked my family here and the team,” said Champagne. “I wish the score of the game (a 3-2 Lewiston win) could have been different, though.”

Basque deal done

The Maineiacs traded forward Daniel Basque to Acadie-Bathurst for an 11th-round draft pick at the 2007 entry draft.

“He’s from that area,” said Maineiacs Assistant Coach and Assistant GM Ed Harding. “We really like him as a kid, he just needs to learn to battle a little bit harder, and Bathurst has said that they’d give him a shot to make the team.”

The Maineiacs traded goaltender Travis Fullerton to Saint John on Monday for a fourth-round pick in 2007 and a sixth-rounder in 2008.

Val d’Or lands Schutz

The Val d’Or Foreurs added some serious firepower Tuesday in a deal with the Sea Dogs.

The Foreurs, who currently lead the Telus (Western) Conference and are tied for third overall in the league standings, acquired 19-year-old German Felix Schutz from Saint John. Val d’Or sent 18-year-old Bruno Desjardins and 17-year-old Alexandre Leduc to the Sea Dogs in return.