LEWISTON — The Lewiston Maineiacs will play Saturday’s game short a pair of players and the Moncton Wildcats will lose one after the league handed down a handful of suspensions earlier in the day.

Antoine Houde-Caron, a 20-year-old defensive and penalty-killing forward who also netted 40 points during the regular season, will miss the next three games after a check behind the play in Game 1 of the teams’ playoff series at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee on Friday.

“We have some depth on this team,” Maineiacs’ coach J.F. Houle said Saturday afternoon. “It’s tough because he’s a 20-year-old and a leader on the team. But we have some guys that can step up in his spot..”

Houde-Caron also served a two-game suspension in the final two regular-season games after a similar hit in Lewiston’s previous home game. There was no penalty called on the play originally.

“We’re going to have the same lineup we had against Chicoutimi and Baie-Comeau the last two games of the year, pretty much,” Houle said.

The QMJHL also suspended Lewiston defenseman Ian Saab and Moncton forward Marek Hrivik a game each for throwing punches at one another in the final five minutes of the game.

Hrivik is one of the Wildcats’ scoring leaders and one of their more creative offensive threats. Saab, the Maineiacs’ most-improved player this season, has been steady on the blue line.

“Ian Saab has been playing real well for us, it’s a tough loss,” Houle said. “It sure takes away a little bit from their offense, too, for sure.”

The league also suspended Val-d’Or forward Jonathan Hazen three games for a hit from behind, Gatineau forward Tommy Tremblay two games for slew footing,  Rimouski defenseman Etienne Boutet two games for a dangerous body check and  Saint John defenseman Danick Gauthier one game for a dangerous body check.

One player not suspended after Friday’s action was Lewiston forward Etienne Brodeur, whom officials assessed a five-minute major and game misconduct in the first period following a full-speed collision with Moncton forward Scott Trask. Trask fell awkwardly into the boards, hit his head and, after 20 minutes of care on the ice, was transported to Central Maine Medical Center, where he was cared for an released.

Brodeur is expected to be in the lineup Saturday.

In other news, Nick Champion is again expected to get the start between the pipes for Lewiston Saturday, according to Houle.

“He made a lot of key saves for us, and we’re confident in him for (Saturday’s) game,” Houle said.

Faceoff on Saturday is scheduled for 7 p.m.