LEWISTON – Ice time isn’t going to be easy to come by for the Lewiston Maineiacs’ blue-line corps this season.

Ask 20-year-old Tom Michalik.

He slipped up a bit in the Maineiacs’ home game against Moncton last week, taking an ill-advised penalty that ultimately cost Lewiston a goal.

Michalik sat the bench for the rest of the game, and was held out of the team’s next game Sunday against Victoriaville, a 4-3 win.

“It’s a dogfight now to get ice time on the point,” Lewiston coach Ed Harding said.

Part of the team’s depth at the position stems from having four 19-year-old players patrolling the blue line. But more and more, it’s the pair of younger players – 17-year-old Eric Gelinas and soon-to-be-16-year-old Garrett Clarke – who is playing in pressure situations.

“Eric Gelinas was one of our best players in the first four games of the season,” Harding said. “He had a bit of a lapse against Moncton, but played well in the next game. Garrett Clarke is very solid back there, and he’s only 15 years old. You don’t realize he’s that young and he really knows what to do on the power play. He’s got great offensive instincts, which is why we drafted him in the first round.”

What’s your 20?

The rule allowing teams to have three 20-year-old players dressed during any given game in junior hockey is meant to help teams by having a mature presence in the fold. Most of the 20-year-olds are among the best players on their respective teams, or serve specific roles.

But Harding is far from pleased with at least one of his 20-year-old players this season. Defenseman Tom Michalik, in his third year with the team, sat in the stands last Sunday. The Maineiacs dressed two 20-year-olds, and won the game, 4-3.

“That’s not good,” Harding said. “Whether that’s a message for him or not, only he can decide that. The guys who deserve to play are going to play, I don’t care how old they are.”

Harding was coy about what the team might do in the near future with its 20-year-old situation, saying only that he’d “let the chips fall where they may” this weekend.

“It’s something we’ll have to address in the near future,” Harding said.

On the road again

After a two-week homestand, the Maineiacs hit the road again this weekend for a dreaded three-games-in-three-nights road trip, one of four the team will make this season.

Unlike in years past, though, all four of the three-in-threes this season include games against only two teams. It’s a start in the right direction, Harding said.

“It’s something I’ve tried to talk to the league about,” Harding said. “When you’re playing three-in-three, play in two cities, but start in the city where you only play once. In essence, on this trip, we should have started in Halifax on Friday night. Travel-wise and fatigue-wise, because of those Sunday afternoon games, it makes more sense.”