ORONO – Jon Jankus appeared to have a promising future with the University of Maine men’s hockey team in 2001-02. He played in nine games over the first half of his freshman year and had a goal.

But Jankus didn’t feel comfortable and left school.

Fortunately for the Black Bears, Jankus returned to school a year later and he has had three productive seasons.

The senior is centering the Bears’ most physical line between Brent Shepheard and Rob Bellamy, and he has also been a useful penalty killer.

Jankus has seven goals and 11 assists in 18 games.

He remembers his decision to leave Maine.

“Unlike a lot of Canadian Junior players, I never moved away and billeted [lived] with another family,” said Jankus, who played for the Hamilton Kilty Bees near his native Stoney Creek, Ontario. “I missed my family and friends. I’m a city guy and I was in a country town [Orono]. It was tough to adjust to it.”

He felt he could get his mind straight by leaving.

“When I got home, I wasn’t going to school. I realized how much I missed Maine. I sat at home and listened to the national championship game [Minnesota beat Maine 4-3 in overtime] and I said, ‘What have I done?’

“At the same time, the chemistry of the team might have been different if I had stayed and the team may not have made it that far. I have no regrets in deciding to leave because it was right for me at that time. I’m just glad I made the decision to come back. Two Frozen Fours in three years is a pretty good accomplishment,” said Jankus, who returned a year later, sat out a semester while practicing with the team and, in 2003-04, was back in the lineup.

Moore earns All-America nod

UMaine forward Greg Moore has been named to the Inside College Hockey All-America Second Team.

The senior from Lisbon has played in all 41 games this season for the Bears, notching a team-leading 28 goals and 44 points. Moore also was a finalist for the coveted Hobey Baker Award, given annually to the nation’s top college player.

Moore was an All-Hockey East first-team selection and was runner-up for the league’s best defensive forward. He ranks in the top 10 in the country in goals (28), goals per game (0.68), and power-play goals (12).

Mike Lundin’s finger healing

UMaine junior defenseman Mike Lundin said the tip of the pinky finger on his right hand, which was nearly sliced completely off when he was slashed during a 2-1 win over Merrimack College on Feb. 25, is healing. He had the tip re-attached by a doctor at Merrimack.

He also suffered a fractured bone and missed four games.

He missed three games before returning in the 4-1 loss to Boston College in the Hockey East semifinals.

“It feels a lot better now. I can move it around. Before, when I’d move it around, I felt a tug, and I didn’t want that to happen because it could damage it,” said Lundin.

Bears adapting to different pucks

UMaine equipment manager Eric Marsh said the Bears have had to adjust to a different puck in the NCAA Tournament.

He said they use a Viceroy puck in the NCAAs instead of the Inglasko the Bears played with during the regular season and Hockey East playoffs.

The Viceroy is an inferior puck, according to Marsh.

“It’s a lot bouncier than the Inglasko puck,” said Marsh. “There’s no gloss on the top or bottom, so it doesn’t slide as well on the ice. It stalls. The biggest difference is the grip on the side. It isn’t as raised or as coarse, so snow builds up on it. At the ends of periods [when there is more of a snow build-up on the ice], it’s very difficult to make or receive a pass. You don’t get any spin on the puck. The grip is a lot better on the Inglasko puck.”

One of the trends is for more shots to resemble a knuckleball, especially when the snow builds up on the puck.

The Bears are practicing with the pucks now and Marsh has the players using a wax on their stick blades that “isn’t as sticky” as they would normally use to prevent the blade from sticking to the snow on the puck.

Kerluke enjoying college stint

Dan Kerluke, who guided Bangor High School to a 43-20-1 record in three seasons as its head coach, said he has thoroughly enjoyed his first season as a volunteer assistant coach at Maine.

Kerluke played four years at Maine, notching 54 goals and 54 assists in 152 games, and helped lead the Bears to the NCAA title in 1999.

“It has been fantastic. I’m having a ball here,” said Kerluke. “I really enjoy teaching at the next level. I have learned an absolute ton. I didn’t know I’d learn this much. I’m amazed by how much I’ve learned and grown as a coach. It’s exciting to see the guys try to win a national championship.”