LEWISTON – Peter Delmas is the Lewiston Maineiacs’ No. 1 goalie. Period. End of statement.

At least, that’s the way things are right now, and his performance Friday did plenty to cement that fact.

This past week has been a long one for the 18-year-old keeper, who returned from a camp with the Colorado Avalanche of the NHL and rattled off a series of unspectacular games.

“It’s tough readjusting to the speed,” Delmas said.

For the first game or two, Maineiacs’ coach Ed Harding said, he’s probably right. But last week, frustrated after two losses in three games on the road, and after seeing backup Philip Wright earn his second win of the season in as many games, Harding issued a public warning to Delmas.

“You always have to be aware of who’s behind you in any situation,” Harding said. “Philip Wright could end up being our starting goaltender.”

Harding and Delmas followed that up with a mid-week sit-down.

“We met and discussed some things,” Harding said. “At Wednesday’s practice, it was his best practice of the year. He needs to know how hard he has to work in practice all the time.”

Delmas followed that up with a solid performance in a shootout win over Drummondville on Friday, easily his best game of the young season.

“It took a little while, there’s a lot more scrambling here,” Delmas said, “but it felt good out there.”

First things first

With such a young offense, the Maineiacs are going to have a lot of ‘firsts’ this season, especially early.

Among those players scoring their first career goal through 10 games are Etienne Brodeur (who now has two), Garrett Clarke and Michael Chaput.

“We’re looking for contributions from our young forwards right away,” Harding keeps saying.

Brodeur is also second on the team in total points with seven.

In addition to goal-scoring, Filip Janosik has also recorded an assist for his first QMJHL point.

Around the league

• Dany Masse is still the hottest player this season. The Drummondville forward has recorded points in each of his 10 games played this season, including a pair of goals against Lewiston on Friday. In 10 games, Masse has seven goals and 10 assists and is second only to teammate Samson Mahbod for total points. Mahbod has 18.

• Trade winds blew through Halifax this week, as the Mooseheads acquired Radek Vlasanek from the Acadie-Bathurst Titan for a fifth-round selection in the 2010 entry draft. Vlasanek will replace sniper Jakub Voracek on the roster. Voracek will start the season with the Columbus Blue Jackets of the NHL.

• Speaking of streaks – Cape Breton 17-year-old uber-goalie Olivier Roy posted his eighth victory in as many games this season for the Screaming Eagles. Roy, last year’s rookie of the year who broke Delmas’ year-old rookie wins record, has a 2.38 GAA and a .919 save percentage in eight games this season.

• Nicola Riopel is easily the best starting goalie in the league, at least statistically, so far. He leads all goalies, regardless of number of starts, with a 1.73 GAA and a .935 save percentage. Moncton still has not lost a game in regulation.

Not for sale

The Lewiston Maineiacs are not for sale.

Contrary to a rumor that has spread like wildfire across Internet message boards and through word of mouth in the last 48 hours, Maineiacs’ owner Mark Just said Saturday that the team is in no way for sale.

“To the best of my knowledge, the team isn’t going anywhere,” Just said with a hint of sarcasm. “I think I’d know. At least, I hope I would.”

Halifax radio broadcaster John Moore fanned the flames this weekend with a report during a Mooseheads game that the rumor was closer to fact than fiction.

“I’ve put in a call to Mr. Moore to find out where he got that,” Maineiacs’ President and Governor Matt McKnight said Saturday.

Just even suggested the rumor’s origin might be a closed-door meeting of Quebec Major Junior Hockey League owners and governors that took place back in August.

“At that meeting, I got up and was very unhappy with how this league was being run,” Just recalled. “I got up and told the other owners and governors that the scratching of backs among teams, the way everything is handled needed to change, and that if things didn’t change, I might think about selling the team, even though I love it so much.”

For now, Just said, he’s still committed to the Maineiacs, and to Lewiston. For now, and in the near future, the Lewiston Maineiacs are not for sale.