LEWISTON — Prior to the past two seasons, the Portland Pirates of the American Hockey League regularly played two- three games a season at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee.

In a press conference at the Colisee on Tuesday, Brian Petrovek, managing owner of the Portland Pirates, joined Colisee owner Jim Cain of Firland Management and Maine Hockey Group owner Ron Cain in announcing a three-fold partnership beginning next season that will bring six-eight games of AHL action to the Colisee next season.

“We have had success here and have always been challenged with playing 40 home games in Portland,” said Petrovek. “ We now play 38 home games a season, something that is still a challenge. So, we need to find what the sweet spot is in the amount of games in Greater Portland. Coming to Lewiston, to an area that we have seen success, makes sense for us from a business side of things.”

Also, the Colisee plans on bringing an United States Hockey League expansion team to Lewiston, becoming the primary tenant, much like the Lewiston Maineiacs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League did in the past. The Maineiacs were disbanded prior to this season, leaving the Colisee without a primary tenant.

Firland brought in the Federal Hockey League for five games this season, but Jim Cain feels a permanent junior hockey league franchise is essential in the Lewiston/Auburn area and the sustainability of the Colisee.

“We’ve seen enough interest in this market where there is some urgency to bring a USHL team here,” said Petrovek. “ We are looking at an Eastern expansion. There is a large focus from the league to expand to the East, and Lewiston is an area the USHL is interested in.”

Youth hockey

Jim Cain pointed to a decrease in purchased ice hockey time at the Colisee during the past year from the Lewiston Area Youth Hockey League and the Maine Gladiators, the organization’s travel hockey program.

“Clearly, there is a decline in ice use. In financial terms, we have to sell another 500 hours of ice time than we do,” said Jim Cain, who pointed out Firland Management lost $200,000 in the past year.

Enter Ron Cain’s (no relation to Jim Cain) MHG Junior Pirates organization out of Saco.

“We talked to the Pirates’ organization about coming up with an overall formula to bring the skills they do successfully in Saco to Lewiston to grow and expand on the hockey side and make ease of access and participation, bottom through top, much better in the future,” said Jim Cain. “They will operate all youth hockey here.”

“The organizations up here are good organizations,” said Ron Cain. “They are in it for the same reason — the kids. The differences are that we can bring a lot of develop to this. We have camps that bring in 600 different teams. We have an international reach to develop programs.

“My dream is to put us on the map. I wait for the day for kids to go through our program, the USHL, to a Division One program and beyond. That is the vision we have.”

With the USHL still at least one season away, Ron Cain’s organization plans on having its Eastern Junior Hockey League squad play a handful of contests at the Colisee.

“The intent as Brian and I have discussed, is we anticipate this to be the home rink for the USHL,” said Ron Cain. “ Brian and the Pirates are committed to it, and we will bring our Eastern Junior Hockey League team up here for four to five games next year, so we are looking at around 10 or so games at the Colisee.”

“We feel we have the professional hockey and junior hockey pieces covered, and with the inclusion of the Junior Pirates, the youth hockey program will succeed as well,” said Jim Cain.

sports@timesrecord.com