LEWISTON – Danick Paquette stood in the center of the food court at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee on Wednesday. His hat propped backwards across his wavy hair, he spoke – in English – to a television reporter.

From a long line of tables, a piece of wadded up paper flew at Paquette, striking the 17-year-old Lewiston Maineiacs forward on the left cheek.

He barely flinched.

Paquette, as a rule, doesn’t flinch much in any situation.

He gathered with his teammates Wednesday for one last chance to say hello – or goodbye – to some of the most ardent hockey fans, who stood in line for well over two hours for a chance to get everything from cards to sticks to shirts signed.

“It all starts from the fans,” Maineiacs’ coach Ed Harding said. “I couldn’t have been more proud of the 2,200 who showed up for Game 5. It sounded like the building was full, and I know our guys fed off of that.”

Twenty-three of the 24 Maineiacs players attended Wednesday’s event. They sat in a long line of tables, each with a stack of their own trading cards in boxes in front of them, waiting for each fan – more than 400 in all – to filter through.

Jonathan Bernier, the team’s franchise goaltender and Los Angeles Kings draft pick, was at the head of the line. He drew a larger crowd than most.

“It’s fun, things like this,” Bernier said. “I remember when I was 16, sitting here, how nervous I was. Now, it’s the end. It all went so fast.”

Bernier said that by Thursday, he would report to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League, the Kings’ top affiliate, for practice.

“I am still going to have to earn my spot, but it’s good to move on,” Bernier said.

“It’s sad to leave, but every player plays hockey to move on to the next level,” forward Stefano Giliati said. “It’s sad to leave, but exciting to move on.”

Giliati, Chris Tutalo and Marc-Andre Daneau will all age out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Bernier, along with Jakub Bundil, are 19, but Bernier’s status as a top NHL prospect and Bundil’s status as an import player likely spell the end of their junior careers.

Some of the team’s rookies were seeing this kind of sendoff for the first time.

“It’s nice to see the fan support is still here, even if we lost,” forward Marc Bourgeois said. “It’s been a great year.”

Tutalo was the lone player missing Wednesday. According to Harding, Tutalo went to New York with a chance to play for the Elmira Jackals of the ECHL.

“I guess they were hit pretty hard with injuries and only dressed 15 or 16 guys in a game last week,” Harding said.

Former Lewiston skater Pierre-Luc Faubert also skates for Elmira, which is near Tutalo’s hometown of Roscoe.

The Maineiacs will return to town in August, and Harding expects every returning player to be ready to once again join the chase for the President’s Cup trophy.

“I think coming off of last year’s big win, some of the players came back and didn’t think we were going to win it again,” Harding said. “Next year, we’ll be starting the year with the right attitude, and we expect to contend for the league title again.”