As far as minority owner Wendell Young is concerned it’s business as usual for the Lewiston Maineiacs with the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Draft taking place next weekend in Victoriaville, QC.

In other words, the Maineiacs are not folding.

“I’ve heard those rumors, too,” said Young. “I’ve heard about a dispersal draft, which would only happen if the league took over the team or purchased the team and none of that has happened. Right now, there isn’t any truth to those reports.”

The last several months have been agonizing for everyone involved with the Maineiacs as it’s been one rumor after another as to where the franchise will land including the latest report coming from Sherbrooke, QC indicating that the Maineiacs would fold prior to next weekend’s QMJHL Draft.

The report from a television station in Quebec indicated that the league will likely to play next season with 17 teams with players from the Maineiacs being dispersed across the league with the plans of an expansion franchise for the City of Sherbrooke being awarded to a local group of investors led by former NHL goaltender Jocelyn Thibault for the 2012-’13 season.

Young said he’s heard those same rumors, but again, emphatically denied that the Maineiacs were folding because the franchise despite losing money every year since 2003 is still worth something.

“It’s not true,” said Young of the rumors to fold. “We hold an asset that has value. Why would we fold when we have all these loans out for the millions of dollars, when we have an asset that’s worth something? People have mentioned (folding) before, just fold the team and walk away like the housing market, but we have an asset and a chance to get something back.”

“Why would you walk away from something that could pay off your bills? If we don’t pay our bills we’re in trouble. We have some personal loans. We’ve put a lot of personal stuff on the line to keep that team in Lewiston.”

Ironically, the team moved to Lewiston from Sherbrooke after the 2002-‘03 season and relocation rumors have dogged the franchise since the day they arrived, but really hit a fever pitch in 2008 when they attempted to move to Boisbriand, QC. It was a moved that was eventually blocked by the Montreal Junior because of a proximity clause in the QMJHL rulebook.

This season there were rumors swirling that the franchise could be heading for Summerside, Prince Edward Island and reached a frenzied pace earlier this month when reports hinted that the league held a straw poll to test the temperature of such a move, a move that received cool support from the Board of Governors.

“I’m aware that Mark (Just) is exploring other options,” said Young. “There was a strong push for Summerside, but he never filed for relocation.”

While Young might have lost patience in absorbing future losses, he points out that it’s actually Just who has wants to make it work in Lewiston.

“There have been people interested in buying the team,” said Young. We could have made some real money after the Memorial Cup, but Mark turned it down because he wanted to keep it in Lewiston.”

“Mark has been extremely loyal to this city and that’s the one frustrating thing about this whole situation. No one has a right to complain about the team moving. If they want to get upset, get upset at everybody else in Lewiston who didn’t show up. There are a lot of good supporters here and they should be mad at the other people, not at Mark Just or the Lewiston Maineiacs. Mark has the right to move the team because enough is enough. He’s been four years more patience that I would have been.”

While Young said that no local ownership has stepped forward, he didn’t acknowledged that Portland Pirates Managing Owner and CEO Brian Petrovek has shown interest, but that appears to be on hold until Just sorts out the future of the Maineiacs.

“I’ve told (minority owner) Paul (Spellman) to hold off on any meeting because we’re not sure what Mark’s eventual plan will be. It would be a waste to go through this entire process and he decides he doesn’t want to sell or the team is relocated.”

Petrovek has been interested in the Maineiacs since their arrival back in 2003 either in a collaboration of combining businesses or working partnership. He attempted to purchase the Colisee in 2008 before eventually losing in the bid process to Firland Management.

“Going back to when the Maineiacs arrived in town we held discussions with Mark (Just) about collaboration, about efficiencies in running businesses at two different levels and in an expanded market place,” Petrovek said. “There is a benefit for us to see competitive hockey grow in Lewiston/Auburn. There is a trickledown effect to us in Portland and vice versa. It’s a natural process of a consumer.”

Young admits the team has made mistakes in the past, but the level of support is going to dictate the future of the Maineiacs moving forward.

“There have been some stumbling there, but are (fans) there to watch players or the management? Are you going to see the hockey game or to see the owner? It comes to a point to where how much is enough when you’re taking out personal loans on the team and your getting criticism.”