The Rangers had so many great performers all season, it made choosing a league MVP very difficult. Tyler Watkins scored three of the Rangers 11 goals during the Final Four weekend and ended the BEL season the leading scorer with 23 points (10G/13A). Watkins was paired with Blake McLaughlin and Jacob Seitz which turned out to be a very dynamic trio...they amassed an amazing 63 points on the season.

At first glance, Watkins is an extremely gifted skater...he has an extra gear, especially when he gets his mitts on the puck. But what is most impressive about his game is his high compete level. The '99 birth year, Watkins gets after his opponents and rarely strays from going 100 percent. 

After the season was complete, Watkins was interviewed on YHH about his experience in the league. He said he loved the chance to play against the best and meet new friends from the North.

Congrats to Tyler on a great BEL season.

Devlin McCabe ('00, St. Paul Academy) - very talented and multi-dimensional skater. YHH could see him play any of five positions at the next level. Makes teammates better with great playmaking skills. His most impressive skillsets are his balance and puck possession.

Brady Ziemer ('00, Hutchinson/Holy Family) - high-end defenseman who can take over a game. Plays with amazing confidence and shoots the puck like very few his age. Another high end kid set to play at Holy Family in the class of 2018 this Fall (Ben Almquist and James Marooney). 

Connor Bizal ('00 Elk River) - one of the smarter players in the Bantam Elite League. Has big time scoring ability and nose for the net. Great kid who works very hard on every shift. Finished the BEL season fourth in scoring with 19 points (10G/9A). 

K'Andre Miller ('00, Minnetonka) - one of the most dynamic performers in the BEL this season. Made his presence felt on both ends of the ice as Defenseman and up front as a Center. Has next level potential...likely will be high pick in May 2015 WHL draft. Had 16 points (7G/9A) for the Habs as their bid for the BEL title fell short in the Semis. 

Jack Olsen ('99, Lakeville) - former Wiz Wyatt Player of the Year showed why he is so highly regarded. Leafs coaches leaned on Olsen late in the season for scoring punch - in a late push Olsen finished with 13 points (5G/8A). Was listed by Prince George of the WHL in August, Jack showed great promise on the blue line as well up front.

Zach Bauer ('99, Farmington) - an impressive power Forward, Bauer showed amazing strength on the rail as well as a nasty side that helped the Leafs all season. After making the HP15 Camp in St. Cloud, Bauer has definitely hit the radar of coaches at the next level.

Gavin Hain ('00, Grand Rapids) - physical player who combines high end skill with amazing tenacity. Power forward who projects as a winger who will terrify Bantam Defensemen all season for the ThunderHawks. 

Luke LaMaster ('99, Duluth East) - one of the most impressive players in the BEL this season. Big player who was aggressive on both sides of the rink. Owns a great set of hands and a very precise shot from the blue line. Had an amazing 17 assists, several on the man advantage for the Rangers.

Zach Stejskal ('99, Grand Rapids) - YHH Goalie of the Year, Stejskal picked up right where he left off from his successful association season. Making everything look easy, Stejskal had a league leading GAA of 2.13 and Save Percentage of .919. More than just another big Goalie, Stejskal shows amazing athletic ability and precision technique. An amazing upside for a player who is in only his third full season as a full time Goalie.

Ray Christy ('99, St. Paul/St. Thomas Academy) - one of the most entertaining players the BEL saw this season. Great athlete who was dangerous every time the puck got past the opponents' blue line. Had 18 points (10G/8A) for the Wings. Missed first two weeks of BEL due to a Summer baseball commitment. Has rare Chameleon-like ability to play several different roles in one game (scorer, checker, passer, etc). 

Joey Petronack, ('99, White Bear Lake/Hill Murray) - dazzling skating and stick skills, Petronack showed great versatility as puck rushing defender and great Quarterback on the Wings power play. Petronack will likely be remembered by his teammates for wicked wind-up slap shot.

The following are players who excelled in the Bantam Elite League but did not qualify for post-season awards due to participation. 

Max Jennrich ('00, White Bear Lake) - had 11 points in 10 games prior to late season injury.

James Marooney ('99, Holy Family) - high end performer who made a huge impact for the Habs playing both forward and defense.

Griffin Ness ('99, Wayzata) - extremely gifted player who netted seven goals in 8 games for Hawks.

Austin Pratt ('99, Lakville/Shattuck St. Mary's) - lead league in scoring with 12 points in 7 games.

Andy Beran ('00, St. Paul Academy) - the Bruins lost other Goalie Todd Scott earlier in the season leaving Beran with the tall task of carrying the load for the B's. In the semifinal versus the Red Wings, Beran faced nearly 50 shots and showed what a huge asset he was all season for his team.

Ryan Elder ('99, Minnetonka) - had 10 points for Bruins, was a huge asset to the team the entire season...his scoring totals don't reflect his contribution to his team.

Ryan Nelson ('99, Cloquet) - great stay at home Defenseman who quietly steadied the Rangers when he was on the ice. Played in the shadow of flashy blue-liners Chase Hartje and Luke LaMaster, Nelson caught the eye of several high end next level coaches this Summer. 

Todd Hauch ('71, Austin), League Administrator - pulled off a successful first Bantal Elite League campaign. Great players, great venues and most of all a great experience for the players and fans.