No challenge is too great for Seb Lloyd when it comes to pursing his hockey future.
The 18-year-old from Prince George will make his international hockey debut today (noon PST) when he suits up for Team Canada West against the Czech Republic at the 2012 World Junior A Challenge in Yarmouth, N.S.
"To get named to the team is a huge honour," said Lloyd. "I went through camp, which was really difficult, there was a lot of really good players."
Lloyd is in his second season with the B.C. Hockey League's West Kelowna Warriors after spending two years with the Cariboo Cougars of the B.C. Major Midget League. His rookie BCHL season was marred by two injuries, a broken wrist and a broken collarbone, but Lloyd kept a positive attitude by thinking of the challenges his older brother Stuart faces every day.
"He's had a lot of tough things to go through in his life," said Lloyd about his 21-year-old sibling. "Every day he wakes up and he has a good attitude and works hard at what he does. Anyone who has an attitude like that things are always going to go up in life. Whenever I'm down I just think about him waking up with that positive attitude."
When Stuart was younger he had a brain tumour that affected his balance and made regular activities harder for him.
In addition to his brother, Lloyd said all the people who helped him rebound from the injuries last season deserve a piece of the credit from helping him earn a spot on the Canada West roster.
"It definitely does help having really good people help you along the way," said Lloyd. "It's a little sweeter when you have to overcome adversity to reach your goals."
Lloyd was limited to 29 games with the Warriors last season due to the injuries but was able to notch three goals and 16 points. This season Lloyd has seven goals, 20 points for the Warriors and is hovering just outside the BCHL Top 10 scoring leaders at 15th.
He's had a week to get used to it, but a humbled Lloyd is still in awe at adding his name to the long list of Canadian hockey players who have worn the red and white jerseys for Canada.
"It's a dream come true," said Lloyd. "Everything is done so professionally at the rink and wearing the Canada sweaters. All the time you watch Team Canada growing up at the Olympics and the World Juniors and to get a chance to be a part of that is really exciting."
During practice with Canada West, Lloyd has skated on the left wing alongside linemates Zach Pryzbek and Kurt Keats. Pryzbek plays with the Coquitlam Express in the BCHL while Keats plays with Winnipeg in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League.
"They're really good players; everyone on the team is a really good player," said Lloyd. "It's awesome to get to play with guys at that calibre."
He said he also enjoys being back at his natural position - he plays centre with the Warriors - but added he has no problem playing any forward position.
It's that attitude his MML Cougars head coach Trevor Sprague said makes Lloyd a natural fit for the Team Canada program.
"He's a good team guy and a guy ready to play any role in the game of hockey," said Sprague. "There's no question he's a guy that would make that team. He's the type of guy they're looking for to win gold. He wants to compete every shift he's out."
Canada West heads into the tournament as the defending champion, having captured gold last year when the World Challenge was held in Langley. The gold-medal game is Sunday, 3 p.m. PST.
Lloyd credits Sprague with teaching him that to play hockey a player needs to do more than score goals.
"He taught me so much about hockey and taught me how to play without the puck, which is such an important part, especially for a team like this where you don't get a lot of chances to score and have the puck," said Lloyd. "You've got to know what to do defensively and Trevor did a great job helping me with that."
In two seasons with the Cougars, Lloyd played 63 regular season games and had 24 goals and 70 points. He played in eight playoff games for the Cats, collecting three points.
Lloyd said his ambition is the same as other BCHL players - to earn an NCAA Division 1 scholarship and eventually play professional hockey.
"If hockey doesn't work out, I'd like to get a degree in either business or medicine," he said.
To follow the tournament visit www.hockeycanda.ca and follow the links for the World Junior A Challenge.
