Like most kids who play hockey, 12-year-old Sequoia Swan dreams of making it big.
"I want to go to the NHL and play as long as I could," said Swan.
Right now, Swan plays centre for a Peewee AA team called the Rebels. He's Number 4, and the assistant captain on his team. Swan averages at least two points a game.
"I don't think I am, but everyone says I'm pretty good," Swan said.
His mother Shylo Swan is one of them. She says her son is extremely dedicated to game, which he started playing at four years old.
"He'll miss birthday parties, family events, even his own siblings, because he has games and practices, so he sacrifices a lot for hockey, because he wants to be the best," she said.
He's doing pretty well so far, winning trophies at almost every tournament he plays in.
Swan's coach thinks Sequoia plays well enough to someday play in the NHL. For now though, the young prospect has to concentrate on practicing for a big tournament in Sweden - the World Selects Invitational.
Only 10 players from Canada and U.S. get to go.
"He's a good prospect, if you're going there, if they're looking at him, to ask him to come out, they see something. We see something," said coach Al Lecunff.
Swan’s family agrees, but now must find a way to pay for the $6,000 trip.
In her spare time, Shylo makes and sells jewelry. At about $30 a pair, she admits it may take a while to raise enough money.
"I'll do anything for him and my kids. It's something I'll do on a daily basis, even though I'm tired," said Shylo.
Both Swan's parents work, but with seven children, fees for sport programs get into the thousands of dollars every year. For now, Shylo is just hoping she can sell enough jewelry to get Sequoia to Sweden.
"It's the best thing that happened to me my whole life," said Swan.
The World Selects hockey tournament in Sweden takes place at the end of April.
