With camp under a month away, the anticipation is slowly starting to build for the season ahead. So much promise, so much hope. So much on the line. Yet we are still and month away from camp! It’s the waiting that is indeed the hardest part.

To take the edge off the lack of real news and action, the schedule is one focal point that deserves attention. All in all, the schedule isn’t as bad as it has been in the previous couple of seasons, and is certainly geared for more success at the box office. Unlike in the past, there are NO direct conflicts with the New England Patriots regular season games, so that excuse can be thrown out the window for lack of Sunday attendance. In that regard, the schedule is a big winner.

The MAINEiacs season starts Charlottetown facing a much improved Rocket club on Friday, September 22nd. This night kicks off a six game in nine day stretch with a fair amount of travel over the period. After a visit on the Island, the club rolls into Moncton for a visit with the defending champion Wildcats on Sunday, the 24th, then moves on to Quebec City (26th), Drummondville (27th), Baie-Comeau (29th) and Chicoutimi (30th). Some good competition in that stretch as Les Remparts, Les Voltigeurs & Le Drakkar will have very competitive clubs in the season ahead. Catching those clubs early on and leaving those towns with W’s are imperative to make front page headlines and get interest stoked. To come home with a .500 record for the opening trip would be a serious disappointment.

The home opening weekend on Friday October 6th & 7th with a pair with Cape Breton should be highly competitive and entertaining, as both clubs will likely battle one another for division supremacy over the season. Whereas opening night should be a sell out, game two on Saturday night should follow suit. Back to back games against the same opponent make for some exciting hockey. The homestand continues with the rebuilding Chicoutimi Sagueneens intown on Friday the 13th, and Patrick Roy & the Quebec Remparts’ only visit to Lewiston on Sunday, the 15th. The opening five game homestand wraps up on Thursday, the 19th with Moncton making it’s first of four visits to the Androscoggin Bank Colisee.

Les MAINEiacs then make a quick trip to Saint John to visit the Sea Dogs on Sunday, October 22nd, come home to play Victoriaville on Wednesday the 25th. After that, Lewiston heads out on a critical early season twelve day Maritime swing. First, a pair on the Rock with the St. John’s Fog Devils Saturday October 28th & Sunday the 29th. Then four games in five days commences Wednesday, November 1st in Moncton, the 2nd in Halifax, the 3rd in Cape Breton, then wrap it up back in Halifax on Sunday the fifth. That could easily be viewed as the roughest stretch travel wise and time wise of the year.

No real rest for the weary as the MAINEiacs get home and get back at it with Bathurst’s first visit to town on Tuesday November 7th. The Rocket land for a pair on Friday the 10th and Saturday the 11th, followed with another pair with the Mooseheads on Thursday the 16th and Friday the 17th. Lewiston then heads out for it’s third trip to Moncton of the year on Sunday the 19th. The Americian Thanksgiving Day weekend certainly won’t lack action as Le Titan return on Friday. the 24th and the Sea Dogs on the 25th. The MAINEiacs then take a quick trip to Victoriaville to round the weekend out on the 26th.

The Fog Devils kick December off with a pair on Friday the 1st and Saturday the 2nd, with Moncton stopping by on Wednesday the 6th. Lewiston hits the road for two games, travelling Rimouski on Friday the 8th and Bathurst on Sunday the 10th. The first half of the season wraps up with three games in Lewiston, Tuesday the 12th against Saint John, Friday the 15th against Val d’Or, and Saturday the 16th versus Rouyn-Noranda. A note to those that cherry pick or plan on getting the Weekend Warrior (half season) ticket package… you certainly don’t want to miss those last two games before Christmas break.

A total of 36 games between September 22nd and December 16th, 17 on the road, 19 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee. Outside of one two week period in February, the worst of the long periods on the road is over. I’ll preview the second half in my next file.

A change in the pipes: Marc Champange was released as MAINEiacs goaltending coach within the past week and has taken the same position with Bathurst. No replacement has been immediately named, but negotiations are underway with a perspective coach that has NHL experience. An announcement will be named within the course of the next couple of weeks. Marc is a great guy and will be missed, and I wish him all the best.

Other QMJHL News: John Torchetti was announced Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations for the Moncton Wildcats on Friday. The 42 year-old native of Boston was recently interim Head Coach for the LA Kings in the final 12 games of the season after Andy Murray was fired in March. Before then, he was scouting for the Florida Panthers after coaching them from 2002-2004. He previously worked with the Tampa Bay Lightning as an assistant coach and assistant director of scouting. from 1999-2002… Former Oceanic / Sagueneen defenseman Patrick Coloumbe signed an AHL deal with the Manitoba Moose. In 297 career games in the Q, Coloumbe scored 44 goals, registered 185 assists good for 229 points… Former MAINEiac Head Coach Mario Durocher and former Moosehead Head Coach Shawn MacKenzie appear to be the front runners for the Cape Breton assistant coach job left vacant by Guy Lalonde who took the same position in Drummondville. Durocher was an assistant in Gatineau after being fired by Bathurst last season.