Few defensemen can walk the blueline or handle the puck like Jake Burmis, the next in the burgeoning tradition of multifaceted Rogers defenders like Nolen Geerdes. 

Listed by Elite Prospects as 5-foot-9, 150 pounds, Burmis fits the new mold of backend player, more routinely playing the role of point guard and distribution specialist as opposed to the previous generation's heavy-hitter. His defensive stick work is fabulous, and Burmis's intelligence with and without the puck is among the best in the state. 

Burmis was named to the Battle for the Blue Ox's All-Tournament team after scoring two goals and adding three assists in five games for the Royals. 

Another year, another Cullen in the mix for the Bantam Player of the Year award. Older brother Wyatt took home the award last season, and Joey has as much chance as anyone to repeat the honor this season. 

Cullen is a wizard with the puck, a magician in space, and a master of the game's little things that set him apart from much of the country's fellow Bantam-aged players. Cullen is the offensive catalyst for a Spud squad with a legitimate argument to be considered tops in the country, having beaten perennial power Shattuck-St. Mary's three times this season. 

This fall, Cullen was named Most Valuable Player of the Battle for the Blue Ox, scoring six times and totaling 12 points for the repeat champion Spuds. During Regional play, he was the highest-scoring skater among all Bantam AAs, with 11 points in three games. 

In the biggest games of the 2024-2025 campaign, Hardie has shown up and then some for the Skippers. 

He led the Skippers in scoring in both the Battle for the Blue Ox and the Edina Invitational, then led all Bantam AA skaters in goals during Regional play with eight tallies in four games. Hardie's size and hands make him immediately noticeable on the ice, and his nose for the net is a natural talent the Skippers have relied upon all season.

Due to seeding, the Skippers and Hardie will square off with fellow finalists Joey Cullen and Beck Thoreson of Moorhead in the first round of the Bantam AA State Tournament. The Skippers are one of just two teams that have beaten the Spuds this season. 

Fleet-of-foot and abundantly skilled, Marto is in his second season with the Bantam AA Aviators, one of the upper midwest's top programs year in and year out.

This season, the Aviators have managed to do what so many of the country's best could not - beat Moorhead. The Aviators accomplished the feat twice this season, earning wins over the Spuds on Nov. 30 and Feb. 15. Only Grand Forks and Minnetonka have managed to top the Spuds this season. 

According to Elite Prospects, Marto has racked up 63 goals and 122 points in 48 games for the Aviators this season, which would currently give him over 250 points in his two-year career with the Aviators' Bantam AA team. 

Marto helped the Aviators to the Bantam AA state championship in early March, totaling four points in wins over Fargo and West Fargo. 

Sullivan leads Rosemount into the Bantam AA State Tournament with a record of 40-8-9, and the Irish are positioned well for a final-four run in New Ulm. 

Sullivan is a true 200-foot player, and isn't afraid to run into a few opposing players at either end of the ice. This fall, he tied for 11th among all skaters in Minnesota Hockey's Tier I 14U League with 25 total points. During recent Regional play, Sullivan had a goal and three assists, helping the Irish gut out a 3-2 win over Andover, a 4-3 win over Stillwater, and a 4-2 victory over Edina.

Six of the Irish's eight losses have come by two goals or fewer, and they bring a 17-game unbeaten streak into the state tournament. 

The hulking Thoreson is a junior or Divison I coach's dream - big, smart, fast, and physical. As a lynchpin of a stout Moorhead blueline, Thoreson's tough to miss on the ice, listed at 6-foot-3, 170 pounds. 

In addition to his physicality, Thoreson is one of the state's best puck-moving defensemen. In 23 games tracked by GameSheet this season, Thoreson has 24 assists and 29 points, for an average of 1.26 points per game from the backend. 

Consistently mentioned by opposing coaches as a headache to deal with, Thoreson is in his second year with the Bantam AA Spuds.