Lloyd hoping to have big year

The second-year pro is excited about the team's chances in the CHL.
By JOHN KOVACH
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- When the Youngstown SteelHounds hockey team plays its first home game at the Youngstown Convocation Center Friday against the Oklahoma City Blazers, one of the quickest and most aggressive players on the ice will be center Darryl Lloyd of Toronto, Ontario.
"My strongest asset is my speed and my aggressiveness," said Lloyd, 21, who has been playing hockey since he was 5 years old and is in his second season as a professional player. "Like, I like to hit. I like the contact part of the game. I do a lot of physical work."
The Central Hockey League game will start at 7:05 p.m. The SteelHounds and Blazers will return to the Convocation Center Saturday for a 6:05 p.m. game.
Lloyd (5-10, 195), who played for the Laredo (Texas) Bucks of the CHL last year in his professional debut, said he hopes to use his strongest assets as a player to help the SteelHounds both on offense and defense, and to win a CHL championship.
"The center is mostly [linked to] the offense but it also has a part in defense because we basically are the third defenseman on the ice," said Lloyd, who has been a center for almost his entire career, although he also can play right wing. "We handle the center part of then ice [on defense]."
Helped Laredo win title
Last year, Lloyd had 13 goals, 22 assists and 103 penalty minutes to help the Bucks to win the CHL Southern Division championship. And then he was selected by the SteelHounds in the CHL's 2005 Expansion Draft.
Lloyd, who wears uniform No. 27, wants to be part of a CHL championship team this season while further advancing his career in the CHL, which he calls "a pro hockey level" league that offers a chance to learn more and grow. His ultimate career objective is to make the National Hockey League.
"I played in the OHL [Ontario Hockey League] and then went to pros. It's different [in the CHL], a lot quicker and more experienced players. This will help me to grow in my career," said Lloyd, who played amateur junior hockey for three years with the Windsor Spitfires in the OHL before advancing to Laredo.
"This is considered a step up," he said, even though it's the same league [because] "it is my second year as a pro."
And, "It's my second year [in the CHL] so I have a lot more responsibility than last year as a rookie."
Long playing career
Lloyd has been playing hockey a long time, and brings a wealth of experience to the game.
"I started when I was 5 years. That is usually when every one starts [in Canada]. That's all we have to do, it's so cold. The guys up there play hockey like some kids here play baseball, football and basketball," said Lloyd, who attended two high schools.
He went to Dumbarton High in Toronto and Holy Name High in Windsor.
"That's [Windsor] where I played my junior career. I played there three years for the Windsor Spitfires in the Ontario Hockey League. Then I went to Laredo," he pointed out.
He was named the OHL Western Conference Hardest Worker in 2003, as voted by the coaches.
Lloyd also attended the Cleveland Barons and Nashville Predators training camps in 2005 and 2003, respectively.
New area, people to him
Coming from Canada and then Texas, Lloyd didn't know anyone in this area before joining the SteelHounds.
"[It's] all new to me. I didn't know anyone here. I didn't know anyone in the game here. It's basically like going to a new school," said Lloyd, who said this area is quite different from where he has been.
"From where I live in Toronto, it's a lot busier [there]. So it's not as busy [in] Youngstown. [Toronto is] like Cleveland. There are a lot of people in Toronto."
Lloyd is looking forward to his parents coming in to Youngstown to see a game.
"In a couple of weeks, my family will come down [to Youngstown]. They want to see me play the Laredo Bucks [Nov. 15-16] because I was on that team last year."
kovach@vindy.com