Chip Morrison, president, Androscoggin Chamber of Commerce:
“I think having the Lewiston MAINEiacs here is a terrific source of pride for our community. This is a great achievement for our cities, and it took a dedicated group of individuals working together to make this happen. Now we all have to continue to do our part to ensure continued growth and success.”
Auburn Mayor Norm Guay:
“I already have season tickets! I’ve been involved in hockey most of my life, having worked for the Maine Nordiques, but this is even more exciting. Having a Quebec Major Junior Hockey franchise in our community is just one more feature that makes Lewiston-Auburn an attractive place for building a life and growing a business.”
Lewiston Mayor Laurier Raymond Jr.:
“I want to thank the Canadian Hockey League, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and Roger Therriault of the Central Maine Civic Center for partnering with the City of Lewiston regarding this tremendous sports opportunity. I’m proud the team’s young people will be a part of our community and will consider Lewiston their “home.”
Support and excitement for hockey has long run deep within Lewiston-Auburn, so I am extremely proud that the Lewiston MAINEiacs team is the Quebec League’s only United States-based team. In that regard, I’m confident that the team will be the focus of hockey fans in Lewiston-Auburn, in surrounding areas, and throughout New England.
I share their enthusiasm for their inaugural season and will be cheering them on.”
Marcel Bilodeau, vice president, Maine Bank & Trust, Auburn:
“With the professional leadership being demonstrated so far, I believe having our own major junior hockey franchise is going to positively impact our community, both socially and financially. We’ve waited a long time for a hockey organization, and the wait was worth it.”
Greg Mitchell, assistant city administrator:
A community of this size needs a facility like the Central Maine Civic Center in order to attract people to live and work here. We’re rebuilding the city, block by block and it’s an exciting time to be in Lewiston-Auburn. The Lewiston MAINEiacs naming our city as “home” is creating a momentum, an energy, that is breathing new life into a community slated and ready for change.”
Adam Rousseau, Lewiston resident and college student recruited to play for the St. Michael’s College Knights Hockey team in Vermont:
“The community needs to get behind the Lewiston MAINEiacs and their hockey organization socially but more importantly, financially. The financial impact of their success will help transform Lewiston-Auburn, giving it the muscle it needs to compete for business and build a strong, healthy future.”
James Belleau, varsity hockey coach for Edward Little High School in Auburn and an attorney with Skelton, Taintor, and Abbott:
As a community with a solid hockey fan base, we are accustomed to high school hockey that attracts large, enthusiastic audiences. With the arrival of our own Junior Major hockey team, fans can expect to see games that deliver an even higher quality of play at a level that is exciting to watch. In addition, our younger skaters will now have another frame of reference for their own development and, hopefully, will gain a new appreciation for the sport when played on a whole new level not seen in Lewiston since the Maine Nordiques.
I’ve had the pleasure of working with the Lewiston MAINEiac organization, and I can speak with complete confidence when I say I’m impressed with the investment they have made in our community. We can expect the quality of the hockey we’ll see this season to exemplify their first-class professionalism and commitment to delivering a quality product. That said, I cannot stress enough the importance of businesses and people living in the community to show an outpouring of support through buying tickets and attending games. We all need to take ownership and endorse the team and its organization.”
Robert Boucher, varsity hockey coach for St. Dominic’s Regional High School:
Our kids are really going to benefit from seeing this exciting level of hockey. As for the community, we will all enjoy the sheer entertainment value of watching the game played at its highest level by players 16, 17 and 18 years old . . . AND we’ll be able to park our cars without the mud!
Tim Smith, varsity hockey coach for Lewiston High School:
“I’m all for the Lewiston MAINEiacs! It’s going to be exciting hockey to watch and will create even more enthusiasm for the sport. As a high school hockey coach, I believe having them in town will have a positive impact on my team.
We don’t watch the practices of the other teams we compete with throughout the season to observe their drills or plays. With the Lewiston MAINEIACS, we’ll have the opportunity to watch and learn from accomplished players on a professional level. They’ll give my players something to aspire to.
At the training camp tryouts, I saw a lot of familiar faces in the stands, some who I haven’t seen in the arena in years, people whose children have grown up, older people who couldn’t access the arena as easily anymore. With the excitement being generated and all the renovations of the building itself, it’s great to see people coming back to enjoy a game they love.”
Send questions/comments to the editors.
