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DJ's Gameday Road Report from Bathurst

January 22, 2011 - Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Lewiston MAINEiacs News Release


Good morning from Bathurst, New Brunswick, where the Lewiston MAINEiacs are preparing for the first of two games this weekend.

So far, the theme of this trip has been snow, and have we ever hit a lot of it. The team left Lewiston at 6:30 yesterday morning, where it was snowing, but the snow was manageable, and relatively easy to get through. We crossed the border at 10:40, and proceeded to arrive in Fredericton, New Brunswick at 1:00 local time (that's noon in Maine), which was right on schedule. After practice and lunch, the group left for Bathurst at 3:00, which is typically a two-hour and 45-minute ride. However, due to the snow, that turned into a four and a half hour trip, as the roads were completely covered - so much so that the tires on the bus weren't even close to touching pavement. Every so often, the bus came to a stop, as JF Houle, Matt Flaherty, and Brian Morrison went out to clean the windshield, while banging off the windshield wipers.

Snow aside, our visit to Fredericton was wonderful, thanks to our terrific hosts - the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds. While the boys were on the ice for practice, I had a chance to sit down with the coach of the Varsity Reds, Gardiner MacDougall. You will hear that interview during one of the intermissions of tonight's broadcast. Gardiner has been at it there for eleven years, and he is a classy person running a tremendous program. Thanks to the school's prospects program, Gardiner has had the chance to get to know nearly half of the 2010-11 Lewiston MAINEiacs, making him a big fan of the blue and orange. He actually made it down to Lewiston in December to watch the MAINEiacs knock off Saint John, 5-2.

After practice, we were treated to a meal that was reminiscent of one that you would see on your dinner table at Thanksgiving. The meal consisted of chicken breast fresh off of the bone, mashed potatoes, stuffing, vegetables, salad, rolls, and some delicious treats for dessert. Lois Shannon (Roger's mom and Zach's grandma) was the woman responsible for the fine cuisine, so as a symbol of our thanks, captain Cameron Critchlow presented her with a team autographed jersey after lunch. Lois cooks regularly for the University of New Brunswick, and rumor has it, she wore that jersey during the Varsity Reds' 4-1 win last night.

For those that don't know, the Varsity Reds play at the Aitken Centre - which is an arena located directly on their campus. For the players, they likely connect the Aitken Centre to the University of New Brunswick. For me, there is a bit of a different story, as I grew up a fan of the AHL, so I always knew the Aitken Centre as the former home of the Fredericton Canadiens. The Baby Habs were a unique team for me in the AHL, as they and the Portland Pirates played in the first professional hockey game I ever attended. Firsts and lasts tend to go together, and on the other side of that equation, the Fredericton Canadiens' last ever game came in the 1999 Eastern Conference Final, when they fell to my beloved Providence Bruins, who ultimately went on to win the Calder Cup.

The Fredericton Canadiens also have a special place in the hearts of one of our staff members - Jean-Francois Houle, who suited up for the Baby Habs for two seasons. Earlier this season, JF and I talked about some of his time in the AHL, and found out something rather interesting/amusing. His first professional goal came with Fredericton in a game played at the Cumberland County Civic Center in the fall of 1997. 1997-98 was the first year that my mom had season tickets in Portland, so guess who was in attendance that night You guessed it - this guy! That was actually a memorable game, as future NHL netminder Jose Theodore got booted at the end of the first period for his role in a scrum at the buzzer. Another future NHLer took over between the pipes for the second, as Tomas Vokoun led the visitors to victory, 4-2.

Moving on from Fredericton, we reached Bathurst. The name of the team is the "Acadie-Bathurst Titan," so some of you might be wondering why I keep leaving "Acadie" out of the equation. Here's the explanation. The name of the town itself is "Bathurst." "Acadie" refers to the peninsula that Bathurst is a part of - it is the Acadie Peninsula. Rather than leave one out, they include both names for the team. The Acadie region is an interesting place, as it is almost completely bilingual. It is so bilingual that we have driven past establishments that have English on one side of their sign and French on the other. For example, the Androscoggin Bank Colisee would be written both "Androscoggin Bank Colisee" and "Colisee Banque Androscoggin." It certainly gives this area a unique feel.

As for the game tonight, expect a high intensity battle. These two teams are separated by just one point in the overall standings, and they know exactly what is at stake. Add to that equation that there are six former Titan players in the MAINEiacs' lineup - Nicholas Champion, Cameron Critchlow, Olivier Dame-Malka, Stefan Fournier, Bryce Milson, and Jess Tanguy. Needless to say, tonight's visiting team will be full of energy. This morning's practice took place at another rink, so tonight will be my first time experiencing the KC Irving Regional Centre.

Don't forget that you can catch tonight's game with the rest of Lewy's Legion at Gippers, which once again, should be a great time had by all. We are in the Maritimes, so face-off is at 6:00 for those of you in Maine. We will be back in the Eastern Time Zone tomorrow in Rimouski. Enjoy the broadcast, and remember, thanks to losses by Baie-Comeau and Rouyn-Noranda last night, the playoff scenario is now "win and Lewiston is in."



Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from January 22, 2011


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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