Levi Monroe is 12 years old and already has a successful hockey career. He is a rising eighth grader at Tennessee Virtual Academy who plays AAA-level ice hockey with the Junior Predators organization, a travel hockey program based in Nashville.
In February 2026, he had the opportunity to represent his team at the Quebec International Pee-Wee Tournament, one of the most prestigious youth hockey events in the world. Levi’s squad finished sixth out of 20 countries, facing teams from Poland, Switzerland, Romania, South Korea, Kazakhstan, and the United States, among others.
“There’s just hockey everywhere there,” Levi said.
“It was happening at the same time as the Winter Olympics, so I felt like we were kind of in our own little mini-Olympics,” Amanda Monroe, his mother, said.
It was not his first trip to Canada for hockey. At age 9, he played his first year on a travel team; the team went all the way to Montreal and came home with a second-place international medal.
Amanda said that Levi has loved ice hockey ever since he was small. When he was 5, he watched hockey on television and was enamored, so the family got him rollerblades and a net. He steadily wore through the wheels on those skates, so Amanda and her husband, Jordan, decided to put him on actual ice.
“He went out there and kind of wavered for about 30 seconds, and then he was like, ‘Oh, I’ve got it,’” she said, “and then he just took off. He was lapping us.”
Levi started in-house leagues at age 7, moved to a single-A travel team at 9, and then progressed through AA. This past season, he completed his first year at the AAA level, which is the highest division in youth hockey.
“In AA, it’s still a really fast game, but going from AA to AAA is the next level,” Levi said. “It’s a huge step up.”
His coach this season, Ike Zier, worked with the team on developing what hockey players call “hockey IQ,” the ability to read the ice and anticipate plays before they develop.
“My hockey IQ, working with him — it’s just skyrocketing,” Levi said.
Levi said one of the fun facts about his coaching team is that Zier’s assistant coach has a brother who plays for the Buffalo Sabres. Levi is proud to be a good teammate.
“I don’t like negativity a lot,” he said.
When communication between the young players turns negative, the staff addresses it directly. His mother said Levi’s reputation for teamwork has followed him throughout his hockey career.
“The one thing I love so much about Levi is that he is a good teammate,” Amanda said. “He is always lifting other kids up.”
Levi’s primary objective for the upcoming season is to work on speed.
“That’s one of the weaker parts of my game,” he said. “I want to get a lot faster.”
The team will also be chasing a nationals spot for the first time. To earn a place in that competition, they must win a best-of-three series against teams from the Southeast region, Washington, and Florida. Last year’s team in this division, the players born in 2012 who have since aged up, finished third in the nation. Levi and his 2013 birth-year teammates want to build on that standard.
“A goal I have would be to win at least three of the 14 tournaments,” Levi said, “because then you get to go to nationals.”
The family also has a trip to Denver on the schedule for a tournament, and they are hoping the Colorado Avalanche, Levi’s favorite NHL team, will be in town when they arrive.
Balancing a schedule that includes practices three times a week and late-night drives back from Nashville has required the whole family to adapt. Amanda recently transitioned to working primarily from home, and both Levi and his older sister, Jaycee, now attend school through Tennessee Virtual Academy to accommodate the travel required. That flexibility is essential for keeping pace with the team.
“After he got adjusted, and I was able to start working from home a little bit and be with him more, he was like, ‘I like this a lot,’” Amanda said.
His dad, Jordan, works for Coca-Cola and uses accrued paid time off to travel with the team. Chores are shared, groceries are a family effort, and everyone chips in. Levi takes that same work ethic seriously.
“It takes a lot of commitment,” he said. “I’ve fallen on the ice, and it’s been hard to get up sometimes. But as long as you stay committed, stay good, and keep practicing, it will be OK.”
He maintains good grades despite the extra responsibilities. Levi wants to keep up his GPA because he dreams of attending the University of Michigan so he can play for the Michigan Wolverines. After college, he plans to try out for the NHL affiliate system, where minor league players can be called up when a roster spot opens.
“I love how the game is just so fast, and everything’s on the fly. You have to adapt really quickly,” Levi said. “My coach this year has taught me so much confidence with the puck.” GN
