After a flurry of media reports over the weekend, the issue of potential relocation of the Lewiston Maineiacs to Summerside, Prince Edward Island can finally be put to rest as all indications now point to the franchise returning to Lewiston for their ninth season in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

According to media reports in Canada, the league was forced to address the issue privately among its owners and governors as talks of the Maineiacs relocating to Summerside refused to go away.

At the end of the day there was no official request made for relocation, but it’s also now clear that Summerside is off the table as an option for any team who wish to relocate in the QMJHL.

“There has been nothing filed for relocation from everything I heard from everyone, not just on the Lewiston side, but everybody I’ve talked to,” said Maineiacs minority owner Wendell Young. “I’ve heard there was a meeting last weekend or a general conference call and there were a lot of things on the agenda.”

“I (wasn’t there) so I don’t have a clue as to what (specifically) was going on.”

Maineiacs President and Governor Bill Schurman maintained the franchise’s stance since talk of Summerside broke out in January.

“Nothing has changed including what appears to be the lack of confidentiality by some and it sure seems there is a connection toward Charlottetown, (Prince Edward Island),” said Schurman. “We continue to sell our season tickets (loyalty pricing ends Monday) and to plan for next year. If anything changes we’ll let our people and community now first as promised.”

The league confirmed in an email there was no official request for relocation over the weekend.

However, the franchise is not out of the woods, and will be considered a target for future relocation talk because of their financial situation. The team has lost money every year since they relocated to Lewiston from Sherbrooke, Quebec in 2003, losing nearly four million dollars.

That’s left the team in a precarious position and according the Maineiacs they have less than 200 season ticket/flex packs sold for next season.

“Mark (Just) and (Maineiacs minority owner) Wendell (Young) have sunk a tremendous amount of money into this team,” said fellow minority owner Paul Spellman. “Nobody can be expected to do that forever. The financial situation may not be so bleak if there were to be, for instance, a group comprised at least in part of local individuals who could step to the plate financially as well as having some type of involvement in the day-to-day operation of the franchise.”

Spellman was thought to be that local ownership to help repair the fractured relationship in the Lewiston business community as a result of the failed relocation attempt to Boisbriand in 2008.

For reasons unexplained that never materialized.

For Young, who is the General Manager of the Chicago Wolves of the AHL and been a partner with Just going back to when the franchise was located in Sherbrooke, he seems to have grown tired of situation and would like a resolution one way or the other.

“Owning a junior hockey team has been absolutely atrocious,” Young said of his experiences owning the franchise. “It’s been very disappointing for me both financially and emotionally. It’s been a massive disappointment owning a major junior team just because of all the things that have happened from attendance to losses. We have literally lost millions of dollars.”

At this point, the Maineiacs options moving forward are limited under the current circumstances. It’s either selling the franchise or trying to make it work in Lewiston, namely finding local ownership, as a way to wipe the slate clean between a hurt and lethargic fanbase and an ownership group that has made personal sacrifices as a show of commitment to the area.

But, that can’t last forever.

Young reiterated that Just has a right to move the franchise based on poor attendance and financial losses over its tenure in Lewiston, however, the organization is open to selling to potential local buyers should that option arise.

“Mark Just has the right to move the team,” said Young. He has that right, but if somebody wants to buy (the franchise), take the team and try to make a go of it (in Lewiston). Have at it. (Mark Just) has the right to move the team because enough is enough.”

The franchise, which Young estimated was worth roughly $3-3.5 million dollars, is still an asset and as Young pointed out they can’t just throw the keys on the table and walk away at this point. They’d like to minimize some of their losses especially considering both Just and Young have taken out personal loans because the franchise has continually lost money.

“You want to recoup some of your money,” said Young. “With what we’ve spent to buy the franchise and spent out of pocket maybe we could recoup some cents on the dollars so we don’t walk away (empty handed). We’re in debt. We’ve taken on an enormous amount debt and we’d love to try to pay off some of the debt with (any potential) sale. The franchise is an asset, but we own an asset that’s worth less than what we’ve put into it. We’ve put a lot of personal stuff on the line to keep the team in Lewiston.”

“If the team gets the support, it could be here forever, who knows.”

(Chris Roy contributed to this report)