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Phoenix native Broc Little's road to South Korea was a little unconventional

Like many members of the U.S.A men's hockey team in South Korea, Broc is getting an opportunity he never saw coming- a chance to represent his country in the Winter Olympics.
Broc Little of Linkoping HC skates against Djurgarden Hockey at Hovet Arena on February 18, 2016 in Stockholm, Sweden. (Photo: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)

Broc Little is not a household name, unless your house is somewhere in Europe and you follow Swiss professional hockey.

“I play in Davos [Switzerland], Broc said. “It's my first year there. I played in Sweden the last five years. I've been in Europe most of my 7 year pro career.”

Like many members of the U.S.A men's hockey team in South Korea, Broc is getting an opportunity he never saw coming- a chance to represent his country in the Winter Olympics.

”Obviously as a little kid you dream about it and as the career progresses, I've never played in the NHL, so that dream starts to fade a little bit,” Broc said. “I was lucky to get the call and obviously it means everything. It's an awesome opportunity.”

Little's road to South Korea seems even more unexpected considering where he was born: Phoenix. Outside of young Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews, the desert is not exactly a hockey hotbed. But Broc credits his father, a Boston Bruins fan, for getting him interested in the game.

“He got me on the ice early, I was skating at Oceanside [Ice Arena] when I was 2 years old,” Broc said. “I played for the Jr. Coyotes.”

“We had season tickets to the inaugural season to the coyotes with Tkachuk and Roenick. Roenick was obviously a very skilled guy. He was probably my favorite player growing up in Arizona.”

An improbable Olympian with an uncommon upbringing - now Broc hopes to cultivate the next generation of young hockey fans living in places where ice is unusual.

“I don't think there’s too many Olympians coming from Arizona, so hopefully we can get some on board!” Broc said.

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