An early morning well worth the effort.

Walked into the ABC this morning to catch a bit of the Maineiacs’ game-day skate, and ran into Rimouski head coach Clem Jodoin. Sat down with him and talked casually about the upcoming season, about opening up this early in the calendar year, and about hockey in general.

Always a pleasure.

The first item of note from the conversation was that Rimouski, which opens up its QMJHL season at Lewiston tonight, will be missing eight regulars, including its top two lines, to NHL rookie and training camps. It was almost nine.

That is a lot for any team. Lewiston, by contrast, will miss three Friday, and five Saturday.

Jodoin shared a similar view that I have, and that Maineiacs’ coach J.F. Houle has, and that Maineiacs’ managing consultant Bill Schurman has, about the season starting so early.

On my end, when you see that the WHL and OHL don’t start until the end of the month, well after rookie camps at the NHL level are over, you have to wonder why. I asked Jodoin about that, and I offered up that maybe it had to do with the education piece. He met that with a face that said, ‘Yeah, right.’

One thing Rimouski’s situation does bring to light is just how good that team is going to be this season. Eight guys at camps means a lot of good talent on that roster.

He also shared my belief that the Maineiacs’ and Oceanic’s division is likely, at least on paper, the toughest of the three in the QMJHL this season, and in his mind, Quebec was the division favorite, and Chicoutimi was his sleeper.

Modesty? I think so.

He also reaffirmed his belief that a good team needs to start between the pipes, and brought out former Lewiston goalie Jonathan Bernier as a (very good) example. That also seemed to hint that he believed his squad could be in the market for a keeper if the situation presented itself at Christmas.

A few well-wishers stopped by to say hello to Jodoin as he sat watching the Maineiacs go through morning drills, too. He still hasn’t lost his allure in this town.

I am sure he’ll get an ovation tonight, and he should. He’s a class act and a brilliant hockey coach who left Lewiston far too early.