Travis Mealy, MAINEiacs Alumni

Game two of the QMJHL semi-final series between the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies and the Lewiston MAINEiacs brought inaugural year defenseman Travis Mealy back to the Androscoggin Bank Colisee.

Mealy, who just wrapped his first year at the University of Prince Edward Island, was on his way home to Brandon, Manitoba, and decided to take a minor detour to Lewiston to see two of his former QMJHL clubs square off in round three of the President’s Cup. 

Travis played a season and a half with the MAINEiacs, scoring 2 goals and 11 assists, to go along with 127 penalty minutes in 106 games for Lewiston. He was dealt to the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies at the winter trade deadline in January, 2005 for current MAINEiac defenseman Sebastien Piche.

Once notified of the trade, Mealy was at first a little apprehensive about going to an all French speaking town.

“When I got traded there I was pretty intimidated, I really didn’t want to go,” Mealy mentioned of the deal. ”It’s a mining town, it’s northern Quebec, I don’t speak any French, but I tell you that it was my best decision I ever made to go there.”

What impressed Mealy the most about his experience with the Huskies was not only the team, but the coach as well.

“The guys are such a close team and the thing with (Rouyn GM & Head Coach) Andre Tourigny is that he teaches the guys to be disciplined and play for the team, not the namebar on the back (of the jersey),” he said. ”I can honestly say that Andre was the best coach I ever had.”

In 64 total games for the Huskies, Mealy potted 8 goals and 17 assists with 116 minutes in penalties. 

But the trade winds would blow again for Travis, this time to the PEI Rocket at the winter trade deadline in early 2006. He was sent to the Rocket along with a eighth round pick in 2006 and a fourth round pick in 2007 for former PEI forward Michael Dubuc.

“It was a nice wrap-up for me,” he noted about his experience with the Rocket. “We didn’t have a strong team, they basically traded for me, Geoff Walker, JC Milo, just guys basically to band-aid the year.”

Travis wrapped up his QMJHL career on the island, recording four goals and five assists in 25 games for the Rocket. He closed his junior career with 3 goals and 2 assists in six postseason games against Acadie-Bathurst, including a thrilling overtime goal in game three against the Titan.

Due with his close nature to Tourigny and his fellow teammates in Rouyn, Mealy would have prefered to stay in northern Quebec, but as it ended up, he enjoys his time on the maritime island.

“I would have wished to have stayed in Rouyn. I must have liked it (PEI), I am there now, and summertimes are absolutely beautiful there, ” he said.

Travis would make the decision to stay on Prince Edward Island and attend the University of PEI, located in Charlottetown,

“It’s was my first year, it’s a change going from a 70 game season to a 28 game and now have scholastic responsibilities,” he said. “It’s different, you are living on your own, you don’t have billets, but I enjoyed it.”

Mealy played in 23 games this season for the Panthers, scoring 2 goals with 5 assists with 42 penalty minutes. He noted the change between Quebec Major Junior and Atlantic University hockey.

“It’s faster, you are playing against older men, you’re not playing against 16 to 20 year olds,” he mentioned of the difference. “It’s anywhere from 21 to 25. Their faster, their bigger and they are stronger. There is not as many skilled players, I would say though as the Q, but it is a bit quicker.”

Mealy noted how the team has changed in Lewiston since his departure.

“I am very impressed with Lewiston,” he said “I could not believe how fast they were. It’s a big change from when I played here, a lot smaller players with a quicker game.”

Despite leaving Lewiston under a trade circumstance, Mealy still has a a bit of a soft spot for his first team experience in the QMJHL. He notified his former boarding family that he was coming to watch the game, and when he arrived at the arena for game two, he was a bit surprised with the response he got from people.

“I just told my billets that I was coming here, and it wasn’t known to too many people,” Travis mentioned about his short notice visit. “Yet I would walk around and it would be ‘Hey Travis’, ‘Hey, Travis’, and it just makes you feel like your someone. I only played here for a year and a half but it was really good. I respect all the fans that gave me the two minutes (to say hello) tonight, it made me feel really high.”

Plenty more this week once the MAINEiacs get an opponent… offthepost@lewistonhockey.com