Each year, YHH selects five of the many top Bantam players. Unlike our Wiz Wyatt award for Squirts and PeeWees that requires high grades and multisport participation, the Bantam Player of the Year Award is given to the best player, base on his merit as a hockey player. 

Last year, Casey Mittelstadt from Eden Prairie won the award over deserving finalists Luke Manning (Stillwater), Micah Miller (Grand Rapids), Jax Murray (Elk River) and Scott Perunovich (Hibbing). All of these players went on to have great Sophomore seasons at the high school level, none better than Mittelstadt who committed to play at the University of Minnesota in the Fall and was a central figure for EP all season long.

This year's five finalists are cut from the same cloth as last years. Fast, smart and very tough around the puck. Like last year we only chose one defenseman, Ben Brinkman. Brinkman, like Scott Perunovich last year is a player that just stands out on every shift. The other four forwards all lit the lamp repeatedly this year and were central reasons their teams had so much success.

Entering the state tournament this weekend, the Centennial Cougars are #1 in the state and winners of three big Invitational tournaments (Eden Prairie, Duluth and White Bear Lake) and the South Region this year. They are lead by second year scorers Lucas McGregor, Soren Frakie and Hayden Brickner. Each has an arsenal of speed, vision and shooting. 

Over the last few years the Brickner boys, Graham and Hayden have done a lot of damage to District 10 and the rest of the state. The younger of the two, Hayden, is one of the most complete players we've seen this season. In just about every game this year you could find Brickner winning a puck battle or two or ten. You could find him scoring a goal and an assist (he had 57 Goals and 53 Assists). Heck, you may even find him in the penalty box, too!

Coach Aaron Fulton said of Brickner, "Hayden is a total bulldog on the ice...he's the kid players from the other team shied away from by the third period." For a player who notched over 100 points, many of them were earned with his speed and tenacious work ethic. Coach Fulton said, "it is hard to find a player that works as hard as he does on every shift and at every practice."

The YHH Player of the Year Award is typically reserved for second year players who have had a great Bantam career. Ben Brinkman is not your typical Bantam player. Last year, as a PeeWee, he was named the Wiz Wyatt Player of the Year as his team won state and he was the most dominant player in Minnesota.

This year while searching for our five finalists, we sought the advice of several Bantam coaches, scouts and agents. These experts typically don't stare at who is a first year and who is a second. They are just worried about who can play and who can help you or hurt you. On every survey we sent out, the name Brinkman came back. Most with very high praise for the '00 birth year D-man. 

A very skilled skater who has a great mind for the game and wicked shot, Brinkman reminds YHH of another former Edina Defenseman, Ryan Zuhlsdorf. We asked one Division I Coach about Brinkman and he said, "he is the complete package and he's only 14 years old - it will be fun to see him grow and get better." 

Brinkman and Edina will be the number one seed from the East Region as they try to win back a state Bantam title that has been their birthright until last year. If the Hornets are to win in Duluth, it is likely Brinkman will be right in the middle of things.

Someday YHH will hand out a Gritty Player Award and it will be called the Gavin Hain Award. Named for the Grand Rapids Bantam who played so hard, sometimes it didn't seem fair that only one team got him on their team.

In an instant, Hain has the ability to take over a game with his size, speed and determination. Head Coach for the ThunderHawks Mike Heitkamp said of Hain, "Gavin has an incredible compete level...like no other player I've ever seen. The best part is it is not just in games, it is in practice, too."

Hain is more than the next Cal Clutterbuck, he also possesses great skill with puck as a stickhandler and shooter. This year he had 67 Goals and 52 Assists in 52 games with an incredible +76 plus minus for Grand Rapids. "Gavin was is hard nosed first, but don't let that fool you...he can also flash a nasty to drag at just the right time, too," commented Heitkamp. 

A Wiz Wyatt Player of the Year Award Finalist in 2013, Hain has tremendous ability and will likely make a run at a spot to New York this Summer in the High Performance 15 program. But for now, Gavin would be more than happy to celebrate a State Tourney repeat in Duluth. 

One of the best kept secrets in Minnesota Bantam hockey this season was the Moorhead Spuds. Returning from their PeeWee team two years ago, they had a nice nucleus of players that came a game away from state where they lost to eventual state Runner-Up Wayzata. What most don't realize is this nice core of players added a nice goaltender to the mix in Lance Leonard from Fargo and a speedy winger from Fergus Falls named Carter Randklev. 

Forty two games later the Spuds are dancing into the state tournament winners of 41 of 42 games and a number 1 seed from the very talented North Region. The Spuds were lead by Leonard and Carter Krier who combined for 20 shutouts in the nets. 

Up front, they relied on three big lines, each with a scoring touch. One such scorer is the new kid on the block Carter Randklev. Former Roseau standout Dale Lund coaches the Spuds and he was very complimentary of Randklev's game, "Carter has been a prolific scorer for us all year. We don't keep stats, but my guess is he has over 100 points in our 40 games."

Randlklev is a a fierce two way player, but would best be described as a skill player. "Carter is a dynamic stick handler that uses his great speed to create scoring opportunities for us all year long, " said Lund.  Teamed with Landon Overbo and Jack Stetz the Spuds are excited to make some noise this weekend in Duluth.