Fredericton Mayor Brad Woodside is warning that the city's rinks are offside in any bid to relocate the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's Lewiston Maineiacs to the area.

Woodwide said the Willie O'Ree Centre on the city's northside is too small to host the major junior hockey team and the Grant-Harvey Centre that is destined for Fredericton's southside is not yet completed.

The Maineiacs are looking for a home since the team gave notice on Jan. 31 it would be leaving Lewiston, Maine, after the season, but its initial plan of moving to the Montreal suburb of Boisbriand fell apart.

Team owner Mark Just said at the time that in six seasons, the Maineiacs never broke even.

Woodside said he's also not sure if Fredericton needs another hockey team considering the strength of the varsity hockey teams at the University of New Brunswick and St. Thomas University.

"We have a lot of hockey here," Woodside said.

"There's always room but council is not really getting involved in this issue."

That means if New Brunswick is going to land its fourth QMJHL team, a deal will have to be struck with the University of New Brunswick.

Kevin Dickie, the university's athletic director, said the talks to bring the Maineiacs to Fredericton are still in the very preliminary stages.

But he said it will come down to the impact the Maineiacs would have on UNB's Varsity Reds.

"Financially, it would definitely solve some problems. Now what's the tradeoff in terms of your brand: that's what we're working through," he said.

It's not known when UNB will make a decision.

On Monday, Bathurst hockey fans learned that the QMJHL's Acadie-Bathurst Titan will not move to St. John's. Moncton and Saint John also have teams in the Quebec major junior league.