For Michael King no sacrifice is too big when it comes to his hockey career.
"One of the things they did at the camp was you have to be five minutes early to everything," said the defenceman with the Westside Warriors of the British Columbia Hockey League. "If you're late, your in big trouble.
"In the morning, I'm pretty slow to get up, but I did my best to be on time."
The Prince George product was one of three players with local connections invited to the Team West tryout camp in Canmore, Alta., Sept. 12 to 14, for a chance to compete at the 2011 World Junior A Challenge Cup in Langley from Nov. 7 to 13.
Gus Correale, a forward with the Grande Prairie Storm of the AJHL, and Spruce Kings forward Jujhar Khaira were also at the camp.
King, 18, heading into his second season with the Warriors, said the Team West coaching staff was looking for intense, hard-hitting players to grind out wins.
"A gritty, not pretty, as he put it, hockey club," said King, sidelined from the Warriors preseason game in Prince George on Sept. 15 with a hip-flexor injury suffered at the tryout. "The practices and games were really intense. There were a lot of battles going on. The whole camp was really tough."
There were 60 players battling for spots on the Team West roster. The decisions on who made the cut will be announced in early- to-mid-October.
"They basically said, just go back to your club team and play the best you can, they'll be watching," said King. "They said a lot of [the selection process] has to do with the camp and a lot has to do with how you play in the next few weeks."
In his rookie campaign with the Warriors, King contributed five goals and 23 points, while manning the blueline during the regular season, and added three points in two rounds of playoff action, losing to the BCHL champion Vernon Vipers.
King said he's looking to use his experience to help out the younger guys this season.
"This year, I think, I'm more of a leader on and off the ice," he said. "I'm just kind of showing everyone what it takes to play junior - all the rookies and players coming into the league. I kind of lead by example."
Two of the rookies fighting to stay with the Warriors are forwards Seb Lloyd and Tyson Witala of Prince George.
"They're playing really great right now," said King, who missed a lot of camp when he was in Canmore. "From what I saw of Tyson's play, he's playing really great."
King said he's focused on having a great season before heading to Colorado College, a NCAA Division 1 school, next fall.
"I think we have a really great group of guys," he said about the Warriors. "Really the sky's the limit."
