LEWISTON – It wasn’t an easy weekend for Lewiston Maineiacs’ head coach Clem Jodoin.

After staying in Vancouver perhaps a little longer than he wanted, Jodoin flew home and spoke to his team for the final time.

“It was pretty hard, actually,” Maineiacs’ captain Marc-Andre Cliche said. “It was the last time we were seeing each other all together.”

Jodoin was back in the office Monday, helping the team prepare for this weekend’s Quebec Major Junior Hockey League draft.

The players, meanwhile, all said their goodbyes Sunday. Most of them have scattered back to their hometowns for a a bit of rest and relaxation before training for next season.

“I just want to relax, have some fun,” Cliche said. “It’s nice not to have to think about (hockey), not to have to focus on it.”

Cliche is among a few players who have stayed in town.

Chad Denny is another. Denny spent Monday bass fishing and playing golf. His billets, Don and Sheila Blanchette, are spending this week trying to prepare themselves for the void in their lives Denny will leave once he returns to Eskasoni, Nova Scotia.

“I haven’t thought much about it, yet,” Sheila Blanchette said. “I don’t want to.”

Denny is in a wedding this weekend, and then will head back home to begin his off-season training in hopes of making the Atlanta Thrashers or their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves.

Both Cliche and Denny agreed that they will likely return in August, when the Maineiacs’ open up their next training camp, if only to skate and get ready for their own pro camps.

Hall comes calling

It may be a long time before any of the players who have suited up for the Lewiston Maineiacs ever make it into the Hockey Hall of Fame, but for a few of them, they are already well connected to the hockey Mecca.

Following the team’s final game at the Memorial Cup last week, officials from the Hall of Fame asked the Maineiacs for certain gear worn during the tournament for their CHL exhibit there, which is always on display.

Jonathan Bernier’s mask, Sebastien Piche’s jersey, a pair of player socks, a stick and David Perron’s hat will now forever be enshrined at hockey’s most hallowed grounds.

Watch this

Jonathan Bernier has known how to keep time since he was a boy. Now, he has a whole lot of help.

For each game in which he was named the first star last week, Bernier received a watch. A really nice watch.

That happened to him in each of the first three games he played.

In addition, every player at the tournament, and some staff members, received tournament watches.

Now, Bernier has enough new watches to wear around each wrist and each ankle.


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