Yeah I'm coming back, I aim to be moderately active from now until September. I don't remember when I stopped coming to the forum and the discord, I think it was around late 2022. I had a lot going on with school and hockey, and I couldn't fit anything else in. My life's gotten kinda crazy - I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in April, which was obviously a huge lifestyle change for me. Luckily I have a great team at my hospital and my family and friends have been awesome, so I got back on my feet and started playing hockey again about a week and a half after the diagnosis. The biggest change was my weight. Throughout early 2023, despite eating huge meals and building tons of muscle, I had trouble staying above 130 lbs. One of the symptoms that tipped me off about my diabetes was that the day before I went to the hospital, I was 118 lbs. After I started to get better, I skyrocketed to 145 lbs, and I'm closing in on 150 now, with 160 being the goal by the end of the summer. Just 2 weeks after my diagnosis, I went on a trip with my hockey team to Sweden and Finland, which was absolutely incredible. We got absolutely whacked by the local teams, but it was an unforgettable experience, and it made us want to live in Stockholm (that is still my plan). After I got back, I went to my first Junior A camp and was cut, but it was also a fantastic experience and gave me a sense of what I'm working toward. I'm looking forward to an eventful summer with my first job, relentless training, and back to having fun with the VHL.
Side note: After some deliberation where I considered recreating, I decided to stick with Cobalt Burns until he retires. I feel like I owe it to the teams that I went inactive on, and recreating feels like quitting. I do plan on testing free agency this offseason, and finding a team where Burns can flourish. My goal is to be a max earner for most of the summer.
Cheers, and looking forward to interacting with all of you once again!