How can you summarize the life of one young man’s career in only a smattering of sentences? When someone has dedicated their entire life to the sport they love, respect must be given where it is due. For youngster Levi Watkins, there’s more respect due than most would like to admit. There are a lot of things about this young man’s career that most people don’t know, and the facts don’t lie about his dark past. One thing is for sure though, today it will all be revealed as we sweep the dust off the record book to show the origins of the SMJHL’s next big star center.

Levi Watkins was born in the community of Fall River, Nova Scotia, Canada, a short distance from the larger city of Halifax. He grew up playing hockey for a team based in the Halifax area, the Storm. He saw relative success as a young player, and it was around the age of ten that coaches first began to notice Levi’s natural talent with the puck. It was an obvious fact to most that he had a powerful offensive skill and a strong ability to skate, but most just thought of him as a regular local star. No one was prepared to think of how far he would progress.


As can be expected, Levi’s first year in the competitive hockey stream wasn’t one that he dominated in terms of physicality, but his pure scoring prowess was something that set him far above the rest of the pack. Potting sixty four goals in only twenty five games along with sixteen assists for eighty points was a feet unheard of at the time. Similar to past NHL star Sidney Crosby, Watkins felt the heat from the crowd as members of the audience on both teams would become upset due to just how often he scored.

Despite this, Levi kept his head up and continued to develop. For him, this year was focused on learning how to better himself at the face-off dot, an area he was told by the team’s coaches would serve him greatly in higher hockey should he ever reach it. Watkins started chipping away at his puck handling and reaction time in order to increase his skill when lining up at the draw, and it would eventually pay off for him.


In his second year of competitive hockey, Watkins moved a couple of stats up by significant margins. The first of these was his goals scored, moving from sixty four to eighty eight, a fairly large jump for a young player. As well, he managed to boost his play making capabilities, and added nine more assists than his previous total of sixteen. Based upon these stats he eclipsed the huge hundred point number, scoring an average of 4.52 points per game, a ridiculous number considering the fact that the Storm was only a middle of the pack team.

There are also a couple of other important boosts that Levi saw to his play. One of these was his increased physical presence with higher totals in hits and shots blocked, two areas that he admittedly says needed work. Finally, he moved up over three percent on his faceoff rating, but was still hitting a number under fifty percent, so there was obvious room for improvement.

During this time in his life, a couple of notable events happened for him, and they were made all the more important by his age. Just after his tenth birthday Levi met one of his idol hockey players, Nicholas Winter, a huge name in the world of the Simulation Hockey League and a person who would eventually become a large part of his daily life. But, where good comes ill fate will follow, and in June of season twenty four Maria Watkins, his mother, was diagnosed with breast cancer. The doctors told her there was a high risk of it spreading to her lungs, and the family was left devastated with the news.


The age of eleven had some big milestones for Levi as a player and an individual. Watkin’s passing game started to become a bigger aspect of his play, and it was evident after he posted his first thirty plus assist season. Too the surprise of most, Levi didn’t take a huge hit at his goal scoring despite being a young player in the league, and still managed to post a season of over a hundred points. Keeping up with the growing trend of his physical play, Levi scrounged and played dirty for twenty seven hits.

Still not a huge part of Levi’s game, his defensive side started to show a large number of holes that would need to be addressed before he hit the higher tiers of hockey. At this point it was evident to the general population that they were watching a player who was going somewhere, and a couple of scouts began to attend his game. But, to their disappointment they saw a purely offensive forward who wouldn’t have the two way pressure. When Watkins was informed by
Bantam scouts that he wouldn’t be playing ahead in his second year of PeeWee, he was crushed, and felt that this was the end of his pro hockey chances.

Driven by his passion for the game and drive to succeed, Levi made it his personal goal to increase his quality of play on the defensive side of the game. Along with this he continued his development at the face off dot and move to an over fifty percent number for the first time in his career. Come playoff time, Watkin’s defense had increased drastically and a couple of the scouts had feelings that he might be able to move up to Bantam a year early if he was to have a strong season of summer hockey.

Before the season could end though, Levi was hit with very hard news. According to doctors, the cancer in his mother had indeed made its way into her lungs, and she was a high risk of death within a short period of time. The weight and thought of possibly losing his mother was too much to handle for Watkins and he cracked under the pressure, losing his steam in the playoffs and having his play turn for the worse.


Here’s a year to discuss in the life of this young player. Watkins, playing Bantam a year early and with little experience on winning teams under his belt was immediately moved up to the Bantam AAA Storm, a top notch team with a new opening on the second line looking to be filled. Come tryouts, Levi stepped up and had some massive play, impressing the teams scouts and causing them to select him for the team. Of course, Watkins didn’t immediately start on the second line and worked his way up from the third.

His first season with a point total very close to his games played, it was obvious that the impact of his mother’s illness was something that would continue to alter his play for years to come. At this time, Watkins began to have difficulty focusing on the present and was diagnosed with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). His work on the ice began to wane and his development hit a roadblock. It was a hard time in his life and for the first time Levi was considering leaving the sport of hockey all together.

In what would be his most important moment of his youth hockey, Watkins was approached by Storm coach Colton Scevouir, who offered his helping hand as a person who had suffered through similar things during his career as both a player and coach. Scevouir dealt with sexual abuse while playing for the Storm in his first year of Bantam, and was mentally damaged from the experience. He shared with Watkins how to deal with his problems and continue on with his hockey career in the best way possible. After careful consideration, Levi decided to stay with his team and in the sport, but he ached on the inside for life to return to normal.


In his second year of Bantam, Watkins found himself moved around, this year playing for the Quakers. The Quakers were a bottom feeder team, looking to work their way back up to the top of the standings. In bringing in the Canadian center they hoped to add a veteran presence to their locker room, seeing as Watkins would be playing three years of Bantam.

For his second season of Bantam, Watkins put up some impressive numbers. With twenty goals and fifty assists for seventy two points, he was well on his way to establishing himself as a top notch player. Alongside his offensive stats, Levi presented some outstanding statistics in terms of his hitting, and put up an okay number with eight shots blocked. The only real deficit to his play on the season was his face off percentage, dropping one percent over the course of the season.

Most people attribute his relative success during the season to the strength of Scevouir continuing as his personal trainer after the Quakers selected him in order to make sure he was safe. Scevouir would continue to be an essential part of Watkins career all through the rest of his life.
Of course though, good things don’t last. Once again, the cancer had made its move, but this one would be its last. In June of season twenty seven, Ms. Watkins passed away while in the hospital. Already in pain from the cancer in his mother, Watkins found himself at the bottom of a well of sorrow as he lost the entirety of her permanently. The youngster was damaged beyond repair, and decided he would take a year off hockey to focus on his first year of high school and living his life with friend and family while they lasted.


High school is a huge part of a person’s life, and for a lot it can be like that for good and bad. In Witken’s case, it was for the worse. Going into his freshman year, the youngster was faced the problem of dealing with the pain of losing his mother. Feeling like there was no way to go but down, Watkins found himself in the midst of an addiction. When presented with the option, Levi said it would only be once, and that he was only doing it just to try. Turns out, the drugs worked and he was able to ease himself away from the hurt. Because of this, doing drugs became a part of his regular routine.

When he wasn’t gone, Watkins was wading chest deep in self-hatred. He felt that there was so much more he could have said and done with his mother before she left. He thought about how the last words he had said to her were in a fit of rage as he left the room. Not only this, but Levi wasn’t proud of his addiction. During this time, he had also taken to alcohol, and was out partying more often than his father would have liked. Levi was digging himself into a huge rut, and with any more work it would be nearly impossible to dig himself back out.

It was at this time that Watkins attempted suicide. Filled with the shame of his life, he felt there was no way he could change himself and that he had no place in the world. His life may have just been starting, but for him it was the end. After the unsuccessful attempt, Watkins received word from the Quakers that he would not be invited to the Midget team due to both his drinking and drugs abuse problems. The team stated they wanted nothing to do with him.

Imagine what that could mean to a player so young, with so much potential. Here he was, smoking, drinking, partying, without a mother, hating himself, and then his team dumps it on him that he’s too be evicted from the roster. Jonathan Watkins, his father decided enough was enough and reached out for counselling and help for his son. Levi began seeing multiple different groups, and by the end of the season was nearly waned off of both alcohol and the drug substance.


It was the most important season of Watkins life, and would be the deciding factor that drove him to join the famous SMJHL, a strong system for siphoning prospects into the SHL. Finally coming back after a rough few years and no hockey in the past one, Watkins exploded onto the scene, taking Midget hockey by the horns and ripping it around until nothing was left. Scoring twenty seven goals and adding an incredible sixty three assists to his minor hockey competitive total for ninety points showed just how driven Watkins was to continue his life and follow his path to hockey greatness.

Nicholas Winter, the esteemed player who had meant so much to Watkins as a younger reached out to him about the possibility of joining the SMJHL with the Firebirds around this time. Watkins, unsure of his decisions initially declined the offer in order to wait one more season to join the league. Levi remembered though, come his joining of the league, the presence Winter had in his life and decided to follow his heart towards Prince George. It was the start of something beautiful.

So here we are now. Season 30 has just begun, but it’s no doubt going to be another one to remember in the storybook of Levi Watkin’s life. For most of you, this whole article may come as a surprise, and trust me, it showed me the real values of Levi Watkins. When you look at this player now, don’t just think about the impact he has on the ice, or presence he has in the locker room. Because in this league, you don’t know the player behind the mask until he tells you.
I would like to give a massive thanks to the friends, family, and especially Levi himself for contributing to this article. In a great turn of events, Levi agreed to talk to us today, but requested only a few questions for our short interview.

Q. How was it for you, playing in leagues ages above you while also dealing with loss and issues?

A. As you can imagine, and have read, it was terrible. At every moment I felt like I was a failure, and that I wasn’t making my coaches or teammates proud. After I corrected myself though, I felt the pressure of everything relieve me, mostly because I was able to succeed without worry anymore.

Q. When do you think the best time in your minor hockey career was?

A. Atom and the first year of PeeWee was an awesome time, mostly because I was playing far above my expectations for myself now would ever be. It’s been difficult not scoring a lot in the SMJHL so far, but hopefully I’ll be able to make something good out of it.

Q. In your minor hockey career you posted some incredible numbers, including multiple 100 point plus seasons. Not only that you posted ridiculous career statistics (two hundred ninety one goals, two hundred eighteen assists, five hundred and nine points, and all of this in only two hundred and ten games). What are your thoughts on how well you performed?

A. Wow. I’m speechless, haha. I had no idea my numbers was that high, and it’s actually really cool to see. Obviously I’m pretty proud of myself, but it only makes it better to look back now and realize just how crazy big they were. All I wish is for me to hit them now, and hopefully with the way I’m developing I’ll be able to hit similar numbers in a couple of year.

Q. Finally, what is the advice you have to give to any player who is going through hardships in the league? Open up your vault of knowledge and spread it with the world senpai.

A. The biggest thing I can say to anybody is just to keep your head up. Bad times only get worse if you focus on the negatives, so even if there feels like nowhere to go, keep going. Eventually you’ll break free of the hard times and you’ll be back in the light. It’s not a long path to take, and doesn’t take more work than you have the power to dedicate.

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