Editor's Note: YHH knows several of these teams, but not all. We do our best to write what we know.

Teams: Montreal Ice Storm, Team Sask Jr Pats, Winnipeg Junior Jets, Team Minnesota, BC Junior Canucks, Toronto Bulldogs, and Boston Junior Bruins.

The stronger of the two pools by a long shot. There is a very likely chance that the Division winner won't be undefeated. There are way too many good teams for one to go 6-0-0.

Montreal Ice Storm - The Storm hasn't qualified for Bracket play the last 5 years...given the depth in this pool, we don't think this year will be any different.

Team Sask Jr Pats - The Jr. Pats went 3-2 in the North American Hockey Classic two weeks ago beating Team MN in a shootout and losing to the Winnipeg Jr. Jets (5-3). Watch out for Jhett Larson and Tyson Zimmer up front for the Pats.

Winnipeg Junior Jets - Just ask the Jets, this is their year! This team has all the tools, all the parts, and a coach with experience. This is a team that could challenge for a final 6 spot. Conor Geekie is the type of player that can win games for the Jets, he's big and fast and shoots the puck like a Bantam. Watch out for Denton Mateychuk on the blueline...the kid has wheels and a wicked slapper. Ethan Buenaventura could be the "Anton Castro" of the Brick this year. Last year, Castro was named all tournament team from Minnesota and was a big part of their run to the semis. Buenaventura has the build and the skill to do that for the Jets this year. JJ Wiebusch (Hudson, WI) and Finn Loftus (Elk River) have local ties to Minnesota. Wiebusch could be a game changer for the Jets.

Team Minnesota - This team will not surprise anyone this year. Bringing in three non-Minnesota kids really helps bolster their scoring and goaltending. The success of the last two years has depended on two solid lines with snipers on each (Isaac Howard and Brindley), and a good third defensive line. The big factor was a solid defensive corps that could log a lot of minutes, in '12 they had Zins, Kaiser, Tucker and Dexheimer...last year they had Mittelstadt, Roelofs, Burkholder, and Peart. This year they will lean on Ryan Chesley, Jackson Anderson, Nick Mikan, and Luke Hause. And possibly the biggest factor in Team Minnesota's success will be the Goaltending. Look for Jacob Fowler to log heavy minutes for Team Minnesota...if he plays lights out, this team advances.

BC Junior Canucks - last year the Canucks lost in the Championship to the Toronto Bulldogs. This year they roll out one of the top teams in North America. Warroad's Daimon Gardner will skate for BC...he led all '04 scorers in the NAHC with seven goals and six assists two weeks ago for the Chicago Bulldogs. Another non-BC player for BC is Marek Hejduk (son of former Avs star Milan)...a standout from Colorado. This kid can really play. No doubt this team will be in the mix when Bracket Play begins.

Toronto Bulldogs - The Dogs have won the Brick three years in a row and a team from Toronto has won it four (Toronto Pro Hockey in 2010). The last two years they were the deepest team in the field. They had three lines with vicious speed and great scorers up front. Toronto is the capital of North American Hockey. Imagine a city the size of Chicago and the hockey participation percentage of Minnesota. Look for the Dogs to finish 1 or 2 in Division 1.

Boston Junior Bruins - one of the most complete teams in the field, they defeated Team Minnesota twice in the Coast to Coast in late May. We look for them to contend on the top end of Division I.

Teams: Detroit Red Wings, Pennsylvania, Chicago Jr. Blackhawks, Toronto Pro Hockey, Team California, Connecticut Yankees, and Team Brick Alberta

Detroit Red Wings - The Wings did not qualify for Bracket Play last year after losing in the Championship the year before. This group will likely advance again. Look out for wiz kid Lane Hutson, he had seven points from the blue line and owned the ice in Winnipeg.

Pennsylvania - Team PA was a breath of fresh air in last year's Brick. They started slow, but finished strong. In their final game they gave Team Minnesota and the Toronto Bulldogs all they could bargain for. They lost by a goal to the Bulldogs and lost in OT to Minnesota 5-4 when Cruz Lucius got his third of the game. This team is a wild card team again this year.

Chicago Jr. Blackhawks - The Jr. Hawks come into the Brick not having made Bracket play the last two years. Watch out for Aiden Dubinsky from the '04 Mission. The son of former NHL'er Steve, the kid can really fly...he will likely log a lot of minutes for the Hawks next week.

Toronto Pro Hockey - YHH sources are telling us that TPH is the top team out of Toronto this year. Last year, they lost a heartbreaker to Team Minnesota in the Bracket play Play-In Game. This year in the weaker of the two Divisions, look for TPH to potentially sweep through Pool Play. A couple nice players for TPH to watch for are Defenseman Matthew Jovanovic and sniper Mick Thompson.

Team California - We saw the California Brick team waltz into Minnesota and take the Stars and Stripes, beating the MN Blades and the Miracle Gold, both in big goal comebacks. A very nice club that could contend again this year in Division 2. Scoring threats Peter Kioussis and Cutter Gauthier will likely find the scoresheet a lot in Edmonton. The fact that they were able to come back in both games here, shows that Team Cali has a compete level sometimes necessary to win the type of tight games that are played in the Brick.

Connecticut Yankees - The Yankees, who sport one of the coolest uniforms each year at the Brick. They took on and lost to both the Boston Jr. Bruins and Team Minnesota. The Yanks have not qualified for Bracket play since 2011. With limited data on this team, it's only a guess that they won't advance again.

Team Brick Alberta - The Home team is coming into the Brick with a lot of momentum. Two weeks ago they won the NAHC. After ties with Team MN and the Chicago Bulldogs, Alberta ripped off three straight convincing wins over Selects Hockey, the Winnipeg Jr. Jets, and the Bulldogs to win. Liam Watkins looks to be a Tourney MVP type of player...he had 13 goals at the NAHC. Seamus Casey and Rieger Lorenz will also fill up the net given the chance. One of the top teams in Division 2, team Alberta could make a deep run into the Brick this year.

For our new readers from out of state or Canada, we love to make predictions. In most cases, we are way off and wrong. But in some cases, we nail it. Prognosticating the Brick is a tricky task. The Brick brings in 14 Super Teams from all over North America. Many of which have never played together long term. Imagine assembling a rock band with the best Drummer, Bassist, Guitarist and Vocalist and recording an album in two months. That is what the Brick is, but add in the fact that the tournament is played over a week's time in a far away land in a Mall. Factors that we normally don't have to deal with when deciding who is best. Here goes.

Division 1 

The Toronto Bulldogs and BC Canucks played in the Championship last year and their teams look to be as stacked this year as the past. This Division is stacked with several other great teams including Minnesota, Boston, and Winnipeg with the slight advantage to the Jr. Bruins.

1. Toronto Bulldogs 2. BC Canucks 3. Boston Jr. Bruins

Sleeper: Winnipeg should not surprise anyone if they advance to the Playoffs. They have a great team, great goalie and a favorable schedule.

Division 2

Toronto Pro Hockey and Team Alberta seem to be the class of Division 2. Don't count out Detroit, Chicago, and California from this race.

1. Toronto Pro Hockey 2. Team Alberta 3. Detroit Jr. Redwings

Sleeper: Team California was a goal away from the Championship last year. No lead is safe with this team....all Division 2 teams beware.

Playoffs

Play-In: Team Alberta > Boston Jr. Bruins and BC Canucks > Detroit

Semis: Toronto Bulldogs > Team Alberta and Toronto Pro Hockey > BC Canucks

Finals: Toronto Bulldogs > Toronto Pro Hockey