Maineiacs alumni proud past

By Rob Kennedy

Maineiacs Alumnist

Over the past 8 years, playing for the Lewiston Maineiacs has become a great way for talented young athletes to launch their dreams of playing professional hockey. So far, 4 Maineiacs alumni have skated in the highest level of the game, the National Hockey League. The first was Alex Picard who broke in with Columbus in November, 2005. Picard was followed by Jonathan Bernier of the Los Angeles, who made his debut 2007, and is expected to spend most of this coming season in the NHL.

This season, 2 former Maineiacs will wear the “Bluenote” for St. Louis. Forward David Perron enters his 3rd season with the Blues, and is just 2 goals shy of his 50th career tally. Goaltender Jaroslav Halak was recently traded to St. Louis after a remarkable playoff run with his former team, the Montreal Canadiens, with whom he reached the Eastern Conference Finals.

In addition, several other Maineiacs alumni are prepared to lace ’em up in the AHL or ECHL, the top two minor leagues. Stefan Chaput and Jonathan Paiement will be teammates for the Charlotte Checkers, the Carolina Hurricanes top farm club. Kevin Marshall (Adirondack) and forward Marc-Andre Cliche (Manchester) will surely join them when the AHL begins play in October. Other players, such as Stefano Giliati, Eric Castonguay, Brandon Roach, Mathieu Aubin and Chad Denny spent time in both the AHL and ECHL last season.

All told, 20 former Maineiacs have reached one of the top 3 professional leagues in North America.

Not every Maineiacs player will make the NHL, but that doesn’t mean they won’t give us great moments here in Lewiston. What Maineiacs fan can forget Sheldon Wenzel, either for his aggressive play on the ice or for his huge playoff goals, including his overtime game-winner to eliminate Shawinigan in 2005. Or Mathieu Aubin’s season in 2006, where he scored a franchise record 47 goals. Or the grin on Maxime Mathieu’s face after goading an opponent into another penalty.

The Maineiacs franchise has always had character players who have created unforgettable moments over the past 8 seasons. This year’s lineup is tailor-made to create more memories once the puck is dropped.