LEWISTON – Some of them were winded, huffing and puffing for one more breath as they bent over at the waist as if there were extra pockets of air closer to the ground.

Others shrugged it off, feeling like the day had been easy, and walked briskly to the locker room.

Most of the 55 players at the Lewiston Maineiacs’ training camp on Thursday were somewhere in the middle, though, trying to feel out the competition and the game, and trying to figure out where they fit into the whole picture – if they fit at all.

“There’s nothing for certain, even if you are coming back,” said forward Ryan Murphy. “You have to earn your spot. There’s a new coach, and it’s a whole new year.”

Thursday marked opening day of the second Maineiacs’ training camp, and from all indications, the returning players had the better time of it, remembering what their experiences were like last year and using those to their advantage.

“For me, this is my third camp,” said forward Olivier Legault. “It is easier a little bit because you don’t have to prove to everyone everything that you can do. Those higher up know what you can do from last year and you just have to show that you improved in other parts of the game.”

Wearing gray, orange, blue and white, the four teams skated divided on Thursday, separated into different teams by the coaching staff and split up so everyone was spread evenly around. Only one team, the blue team, had as many as six returning players from the previous year.

“That is by design,” said coach and General Manager Clem Jodoin. “We need to see the level of respect between the rookies and the veterans, and to see if those veterans have that leadership ability.”

In all, the first day of camp went nearly as expected for the coaching staff, with several players obviously in shape, and a few that were equally in poor shape.

“You have to be in shape,” said Legault. “There are some things that you can learn from year to year.”

“It’s as simple sometimes as knowing to eat right and when to eat, knowing to get enough rest and drink plenty of water,” added Murphy.

On Friday, the teams will once again be divided up, this time into three teams, and the practices and games will increase in intensity. Instead of playing four-on-four, they will play five-on-five, and the games will simulate actual games instead of being broken into two 40-minute halves like Thursday’s two exhibitions.

“It’s a whole different game on Friday,” said Jodoin. “There will be less ice open. With four-on-four you have a chance to show off some skills, but it is very different with a bigger bench of players and less ice.”