University of Maine hockey coach Shawn Walsh, who is battling a form of kidney cancer known as renal cell carcinoma, was in stable condition Wednesday evening in the intensive care unit at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor.

The 45-year-old Walsh was admitted to the hospital Monday because he was having difficulty breathing.

The Maine coach still has cancerous tumors in his chest and also has an infection.

He has required some assistance breathing, but is not connected to a life-support system.

Walsh’s wife, Lynne, said her husband is improving.

“He is responding to the antibiotics,” said Lynne Walsh. “He had a CAT scan on his lower abdomen this afternoon [Wednesday] and everything was fine. We’ve been in contact with NIH [National Institutes of Health] and they have been very positive.”

Walsh, who has lost a considerable amount of weight, underwent a stem cell transplant at NIH in Bethesda, Md., in May in the hope that his younger brother Kevin’s stem cells would attack the remaining cancerous cells in his body.

To create the necessary environment for the stem cells to attack the cancerous cells, Walsh had to take immunosuppressive drugs for an extended period of time. The drugs are designed to shut down the immune system.

That left him susceptible to infection.

He just recently finished his immunosuppressive drugs.

Walsh was diagnosed with kidney cancer 15 months ago and has had his left kidney and left lung removed. He also underwent two grueling 20-day immunotherapy treatments in California before undergoing the stem cell transplant.

He is beginning his 18th season behind the Black Bear bench. Walsh has led his Maine teams to 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, seven Frozen Fours and two national championships.

His next win will be his 400th.

He sports a 399-215-44 record.

The four-time Hockey East Coach of the Year and recipient of the Spencer Penrose Trophy awarded to the national coach of the year, will shoot for his 400th win against his alma mater, Bowling Green State University, on Oct. 12 in the Ice Breaker Tournament in Orono.