They definitely didn't forget Graig Mischler. When he was introduced as a starter before each of the Royals' last three home games, Mischler was showered with loud ovations.

“To come back here and help the team out, and to see that they still recognized the name and remember, that was something that was really humbling and it's something I'll always remember,” Mischler said.

With the Royals in a pinch for players last week, the 27-year-old New York native returned to pro hockey after a half-season hiatus. He picked up an assist in Tuesday's 5-1 loss to Wheeling and a goal in Saturday's 4-2 win against the Nailers.

Mischler, an eight-round draft pick of the Vancouver Canucks in 1998, skated here the previous two seasons and scored 120 points. His 63 points last season led the Royals.

But, before the season, Mischler decided to take a “foot-in-the-door” job with a financial services company in the Big Apple. He'd had some time off recently, so when assistant coach/forward Larry Courville called to see if he could rejoin the Royals, Mischler didn't hesitate.

“He said the team was depleted to the end,” Mischler said. “It just seemed like a good thing to come back and help out. It's good to get back into the game.”

Mischler acknowledges that he's not in peak form, but he did stay in decent shape by skating a couple days per week after work.

“It was kind of tough at times to get on the ice a lot,” he said, “but enough that I could come back here and not make a complete (fool) of myself.”

Because he has to commute from New York, Mischler hasn't practiced with the Royals, and his game availability depends on his work schedule. He missed Friday night's game at Johnstown due to a meeting that ran long, and he won't know until Tuesday if he can play in Wednesday's game against the Chiefs.

“He's been pretty good,” Reading coach Karl Taylor said Sunday. “I think he got caught up with the energy today. He was a little tired. He hasn't been practicing, he's just driving down for the games, so he's not in the game shape that he'd like to be.

“But I think he's done a pretty good job. He's a skilled player. I think he's doing very well.”

Royal idea: Karl Taylor was overjoyed at what finally arrived at his office Thursday.

No, it wasn't one of his 10 players who are still up in the AHL. A buddy up North sent the Reading coach an old leather jacket, similar to the one Paul Newman wore in “Slap Shot.”

After each win, the Royals are choosing the team's hardest working player and loaning him the jacket, which Taylor dubbed the “Reggie Dunlop Award.” The player has to wear the jacket at all team functions.

Dany Roussin got the jacket after Saturday night's 4-2 win against Wheeling.