LEWISTON – Dressed in their white game jerseys, the Lewiston Maineiacs milled about the ice at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee early Tuesday morning.

Most of them were groggy, having been awake less than an hour.

Slowly, they lined up, one by one, for the team photo, at center ice.

In the front row sat Don MacAdam 58. You couldn’t miss him. Sitting beside captain Danick Paquette and alternate captain Max Gratchev, MacAdam’s white hair was a dead giveaway.

Never having coached a practice or paced the bench during a game, the Lewiston Maineiacs’ new coach posed with the team – his team – in his first official appearance with the club.

Next was practice. And despite that early wake-up call, the players stayed on the ice longer after practice than they had in a good while – so late that they delayed the news conference announcing MacAdam as the new coach by 20 minutes.

“We were all moving our feet from the beginning to the end of practice,” Lewiston forward Billy Lacasse said. “It was extend, extend, extend. We were never still.”

Never still.

That’s defined MacAdam’s career. He’s had stops in Detroit, Cape Breton, Fredericton, Sault Ste. Marie, Holland, England, Japan, Prince Edward Island, Milwaukee, Charlotte and Dayton.

He’s authored or co-authored seven books, started a Web site devoted to hockey, and holds a Masters of Physical Education degree from the University of New Brunswick.

In his playing days, he even skated in Lewiston – against the Maine Nordiques as a member of the Mohawk Valley Comets.

“Oh yes,” MacAdam said, bursting into laughter. “When I walked through the doors (Monday), I said, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe I’m back here.’ It brings back some interesting memories, not that I want to go through it again.”

So why Lewiston, and why now?

“From the outside, it might look like a difficult situation,” MacAdam admitted, “but I’ve got to tell you, after spending some time on the phone with (Maineiacs’ owner) Mr. (Mark) Just, I couldn’t not come here. “He’s a passionate man, and he’s passionate about the right things, as far as I understand the game.”

His initial on-ice experience with the team did nothing to lessen his view, either.

“After being on the ice with these young men today, I’m really excited now,” MacAdam said. “It’s not about changes necessarily. It’s about these guys being who they are, and playing to the talents they possess.”

MacAdam had a chance last weekend to watch Lewiston in games against Montreal (a 4-2 loss) and Shawinigan (a 5-2 setback).

“The results of the games were not very positive, to say the least, but what I saw, individually, I was really impressed,” MacAdam said. “There is a tremendous amount of skill.”

Harnessing that skill, MacAdam said, is the tough part. But it’s also the fun part.

“I’ve been in similar situations a couple of times, which is why I wanted to go and watch the team,” MacAdam said. “I got feedback from everyone in the organization, and from everyone I knew who knew the team, but there’s nothing like your own eyes to watch and learn.”

His first impression was mixed.

“I told the defense this already, I thought they were terrible defensively, as a unit, but they can all play well,” MacAdam said. “I got to see both goaltenders, and I like them both. They’re both good, solid goaltenders. If you have good goaltending and solid defense, you have a lot of your concerns taken care of. Up front, I saw glimpses of kids that could just fly, great skaters, but they weren’t skating.

“We’ve asked for a few things from each guy, and we’ll meet individually with each player,” MacAdam continued. “We’ve asked for some things from the group. One thing is, we’re not going to talk about playoffs. We’re going to the playoffs, and that’s it.”

Turning to address the group of players seated to his right, MacAdam continued, “Right boys?”

They nodded.

“See? You heard it from them second,” MacAdam said. “That’s over with. What’s next?”

For MacAdam and the Maineiacs, it’s practice Wednesday. Then a game in Rouyn-Noranda on Friday, and then one in Val d’Or on Saturday.

Beyond that?

“We’ll be fun to watch, guaranteed,” MacAdam said, again turning back to his players. “Right guys?”