Last season, the Lewiston Maineiacs were shut out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s ‘Player of the Week’ listings.

This year, it’s taken all of one week for a Lewiston skater to earn the honor.

Team captain Cameron Critchlow, who scored all of eight goals last season, began this season on fire. In two games last weekend, Crithclow scored three goals and added three assists for six points. He joins Jonathan Huberdeau of Saint John and Philippe-Michael Devos of Victoriaville atop the league scoring list with six points, and his efforts earned for him the top star in the TELUS three stars of the week for the league.

The second star of the week went to Saint John Sea Dogs winger Tomas Jurco, who potted five goals on only seven shots. Jurco helped the Sea Dogs post a perfect 2-0 record to start the season with wins over the Screaming Eagles and the Rocket.

Quebec Remparts defenseman Alex Wall took home the third star after recording two goals and two assists in two games to lead all defensemen in scoring.

Impressing at rookie camp

Pierre-Olivier Morin is making the most of his time as an invited player at the Vancouver Canucks’ rookie tournament in Penticton, British Columbia. The speedy 19-year-old Maineiacs forward was never drafted to the NHL, but this year earned an invite to the Canucks’ rookie camp.

Late Monday night, in his second game with the squad, Morin netted a goal directly attributable to his speed. Morin collected the puck along the right wing on his own side of the red line. He looked up, saw a pair of defenders to his left, put his head down and turned on the jets.

He found himself in all alone on San Jose goalie Thomas Heemskerk, and he beat the keeper with a stealthy wrister for the Canucks’ fifth goal of the game. The team ended up winning, 5-3.

Sam Finn played in the game for the Sharks on defense, but did not figure into the scoring.

Sam Carrier (Washington), Michael Chaput and Matthew Bissonnette (Philadelphia) are all undergoing their rookie evaluations at their respective cams, as well. The Flyers’ and Capitals’ rookies will square off against one another Thursday, pitting Chaput and Bissonnette against Carrier.

At Montreal Canadiens camp, the rookie goaltending trio has a decidedly QMJHL feel. Robert Mayer, last year’s surprise, is back at rookie camp. He plied his trade with Saint John in the Q. Old friend Peter Delmas, a part of the Maineiacs’ run to the league title as a 16-year-old, is an invite to the Habs’ camp as a 20-year-old, as is current Lewiston 20-year-old goaltender Nicholas Champion.

Hoping sooner rather than later

The Maineiacs still do not know when their players will return from rookie camps, but team officials are hoping it’s sooner rather than later — sort of.

Given the news that Morin had a stellar night with the Canucks, Lewiston assistant GM Tim Schurman said Tuesday he hoped Morin could stick for a while.

“It’s great for the player, for his confidence, and it’s great for our organization,” Schurman said. “Honestly, it’s twice as hard to make it beyond rookie camp as an invite, and when you do, it’s twice as rewarding.”

Schurman said Tuesday he hoped that some of the players would be back in time for the team’s road trip this weekend. Lewiston skates in Quebec on Friday, and in Chicoutimi on Saturday. Most rookie camps wrap up Thursday, so travel and logistics will be the team’s main concern.

The team’s feeling Tuesday was that the two players who are actually drafted by their respective teams — Chaput and Carrier — might stick with those teams a touch longer, into the team’s main training camp.