The Bantam Elite League (BEL) is in the middle of their second successful season this Summer. Eight teams composed of players from all over Minnesota are competing each week, with the season culminating in mid-September.

Over the coming weeks the BEL will choose its players and teams for next year. On Monday, they announced the first 60 metro players who were invited and registered to the league. Standouts Matthew Gleason (St. Paul), Bobby Brink (Excelsior) and Nate Warner (St. Cloud) headline the list of top players. All three have played in the BEL this season as replacements to players from the league who will depart for Shattuck St. Mary's.

"The success of our league the last two years really says something about the quality of players we have attracted for next year," says League Director Todd Hauch. "We invited 60 metro players and all but one registered during the invite process," continued Hauch. 

The league will take a different twist next season - they will only field six teams versus eight this year. Hauch explains why, "next season, it is our goal to invite other Tier 1 teams from across North America to play our teams. In order for our boys to compete at that level, we wanted to make sure we had the right amount of players." In addition to fewer teams, the BEL will only field one North team composed of Minnesota Hockey districts 11, 12, 15 and 16, four Metro teams and a Futures team. The Futures team will be composed of 17 players born just outside the Minnesota hockey July to June age that the league mandates. Next year, the Futures will consist of players born July 1, 2002 to December 31, 2002 and they will be hand selected from all over Minnesota.

Sixty of the 80 spots for the Metro team are now secured, the final 20 spots will be earned in an open tryout in September. They will select four defensemen, 14 forwards, and two goalies to round out the final twenty slots.