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2022 Bantam Elite League Preview

By Peter Odney , 07/26/22, 2:30PM CDT

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Featuring a 2021 league recap, 2022 schedules, plus Players to Watch from each team.

That old familiar feeling


2021 Major Division Most Valuable Player Henry Lechner notched 25 points for the Bruins.

As the calendar turns over into (nearly) August, the Bantam Elite League rises from its hibernation. Jerseys get ordered, boxes of supplies are moved from storage to different facilities, and one of the country's best elite fall leagues gets underway. 

This season marks the ninth iteration of the Bantam Elite League, which has grown from a single division housing six teams into a 13-team behemoth, spanning Major and Minor Divisions for second-year  and first-year Bantams, respectively. 

In 2021, Wisconsin took home top honors in the Major Division, rolling to nine victories and a single loss in overtime. Wisconsin topped the Bruins in the championship game, played at St. Cloud State's Herb Brooks National Hockey Center, by a thrilling score of 9-7. Despite taking the loss, Bruins forward Henry Lechner was named the Major Division's Most Valuable Player. Lechner led all skaters with 14 goals and 25 points en route to the honor. 

In the Minor Division, the bounce-back Canes blanked the Kings 6-0, a far cry from the teams' first meeting, in which the Kings thumped the Canes 7-1. Entering the league playoffs as the clear underdog, the Canes picked up wins over the Bruins and Penguins before its title-game triumph over the Kings. 

Kings defenseman Cooper Siegert led the Minor Division with 24 total points, and Canes forward Dawson Kloek was named Minor Most Valuable Player. Kloek recorded 14 goals to lead the Canes to glory.

The Bantam Elite League will run from July 29th to August 20th, with league playoffs commencing on August 12th for Majors and August 19th for Minors. 

2022 offers the Bantam Elite League some new faces, including a new team. South Dakota will fit a full roster for this year's Major Division, and should be a welcome addition to the BEL. 


The Canes pulled off three upset victories on their way to last year's Minor Division championship.

2022 Bantam Elite League Players to Watch

2022 Bantam Elite League Schedules


2021 Major Division champion Wisconsin lost just one game in BEL play last summer.

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