Good news on Wednesday afternoon, Helen was released from the hospital and sent home via access van. I was at their place for lunch on Thursday, except for still being tired from her episode she doesn't look any the worse for wear. She's 86 and has always been energetic for her age, it's just a matter of gradually building back her body strength and guarding against any reoccurrence. On Tuesday the Royals hosted their annual meet and greet event, for the first time since 2019 it was held at the Arena (in 2022 and '21 it was outdoors at a local restaurant and the year before that is not a topic for conversation). Jenny was originally not going to go because her mother was still in the hospital but Helen talked her into it, to be honest I also thought it would be beneficial for her since sitting around the house doing nothing wasn't good for anyone. A local eatery provided food and the players were available for autographs and photos. James Henry is back for his second year as head coach, the training camp roster features returning forwards Brendan Hoffmann, Alec Butcher, Shane Sellar, Devon Paliani and Yvan Mongo, defensemen Tyler Heidt, Mason Millman and Mike Chen plus goaltender Nolan Maier. On Thursday the club opened its preseason schedule at the Arena, the Adirondack Thunder visited from upstate New York. Jenny and Helen were absent for the obvious reasons, Helen simply isn't up to it yet and Jenny was staying at home to keep an eye on her. The Royals lost in the overtime shootout 4-3, scoring for the Good Guys were Alec Butcher, Yvan Mongo and Tyson Fawcett (a returnee-of-sorts, he played briefly for the Royals in 2019 and most recently played in England) with Nolan Maier as goalie of record. On Friday the teams met in Glens Falls, the Royals earned a split with a 3-1 win. The regular season starts on the road on Friday the 20th, the home opener is eight days later on Saturday the 28th. Take care, thanks for reading.
