Holy Shit!!!

Training camp starts this Sunday, the 13th! In fact, Rookie camp has already started. After a long and much needed summer slumber... The Royal Half is ready to launch back into its in-depth and patented "Los Angeles Kings Hockey Coverage."

How I spent my summer... in hockey pajamas and carrying a stick.

First off, Season Ticket Holder Buddy and I did renew our seats for the 8th straight season (I count the lockout since we put money down for that year) and we are keeping the same great seats we've had for the past 7 non-playoff years.

But the biggest news of the summer has been the introduction of High Definition into TRH World Headquarters... that's right, I finally bought an HDTV.

I asked for the large one.

I've usually been on the forefront of gadgets and technology, but over the past few years, I've sat quietly by as I've watched most of my friends (and parents!) upgrade to HD. When the question came up "why don't you have an HDTV?" I dug my heels in the sand and proclaimed "not until the Los Angeles Kings are broadcast in HD!" And I continued to wait patiently... as the WNBA broadcast in HD, as the XGames broadcast in HD, as Paris Hilton's My New BFF broadcast in HD...

Just another night of watching pre-HDTV at The Royal Half headquarters.

But this summer... everything changed. Turns out that all of the Los Angeles Kings games for the 2009-2010 season will be broadcast in HD. So naturally, I went out the next day and bought a HDTV. And it's been glorious... better than I could have ever imagined. Sure... watching baseball and football and tennis looks incredibly awesome in HD... but the real deal is hockey. And thankfully the NHL Network has been airing a 2009 HD playoff game each night at 10pm since I bought the television.

I cannot wait to see Ryan Smyth's mullet in glorious HD.

So season tickets... check. Over-sized HD television... check. So what is left for the upcoming NHL season? Oh right... a hockey team!

I'm going to save my Season Preview for when we are closer to the opening faceoff... but it's safe to say that for any Los Angeles Kings fan... this is the season we've been waiting for. No one is thinking Stanley Cup... this season is all about getting that 7th/8th playoff seed. And I'm sure the players have been spending all summer getting serious about making the playoffs.

Ladies and Gentlemen... your starting goalie and top 2 defensemen.

Not exactly the summer training program I think Dean Lombardi has in mind. But at least the veterans have been working hard. Or at least they are just exhausted from showing Ryan Smyth around.

Worst American Idol Audition ever.

The first pre-season game is 2 weeks from yesterday. Opening night is 3 weeks from this Saturday. This truly is the most wonderful time of the year.

Oh and apparently the Kings had some sort of festival last weekend celebrating hockey. Half Season Ticket Holder Buddy and I had no desire to go check it out... at all. It's kinda like how we aren't big jersey wearing guys either. We just care about what happens on the ice. Besides... it doesn't look like we missed anything cool.