The 2016 Bantam Elite League wraps up their third campaign this weekend with a two to three game single elimination tournament.  The top two seeds - the Bruins and Kings - get a bye on Friday while the bottom four teams Penguins (3)/North Stars (6) and Hawks (4)/Flyers (5) face off Friday for a shot at the semifinals. 

Besides the top two seeds as obvious choices to win the playoff, watch out for the young gun Blackhawks. The have four wins and two overtime losses in their last six games. And, don't count out the Penguins. With the return of Matt Gleason last weekend they righted their ship winning three and losing to.....yes, the Blackhawks. YHH could see any of the teams getting hot over the weekend including the final two teams. A year ago, the last place Penguins beat the #1 seeded Devils and #4 Bruins in back-to-back games before falling in the finals.

Friday

Hawks > Flyers...the young guns are flying, they beat the Flyers handily Saturday. Look for a repeat Friday.

Penguins > Stars...the Pens are one of the best teams in the league when full staffed. Stars will have to have everything align to beat the Pens. A 6-2 loss Saturday may be motivation enough for the northern boys.

Saturday

Bruins > Hawks...despite missing many players to other commitments, the Bruins seem to have the Hawks number. In Bruins fashion, they will win a close one.

Pens > Kings...on August 22, the Kings put a 10-2 beating on the Penguins. Everything went right that night...karma says, the pendulum might switch Saturday night.

Sunday

Bruins > Pens...if this is the matchup, it will be fun to watch. Flip a coin (we did 10 times) and we will go with league champ Bruins to win it. Note: no regular season champ has won the playoff tee-shirt.

Heading into the final weekend each team has a handful of players who have helped their team win games. Here are a few that are easy to see and couple you have to look pretty hard to sense how great their value has been to their team.

Hawks, Jackson Kunz - after a slow start, the eighth grader from Grand Forks, ND has been Sioux-per the few games. We expect to see more.

Hawks, Jack Smith - very skilled, but rugged with and without the puck. Smith has been huge for the Hawks the whole season.

Bruins, Shane Lavelle - the Chevelle returns to the BEL Saturday after a stint with the U15 Blades in Detroit. Teams need to be careful of this guy with great horsepower.

Bruins, Austen Humphrey - the freshman from Elk River leads the BEL in points. Much like Kunz, has size and skill that is hard to match.

Flyers, Jon Howe - statistically Howe may not stack up with the other tenders, but ask any coach who the best goalie has been, many point to the sophomore from Tonka.

Flyers, Charlie Strobel - one of the most consistent players in the BEL. If the Flyers make a run, we expect Strobel to be right in the middle of the action.

Kings, Jake Braccini - an impressive specimen who can take over a game with his size and speed. His twin brother Tyler grows on you every game we see him. He is smart and a great playmaker.

Kings, Luke Ahles - great skater and playmaker...Lucky has been anything but that this season displaying great ice presence for the Kings.

Penguins, Matt Gleason - despite a broken finger, Gleason was cleared to play last weekend for the Pens. Where he helped the Pens to a three win weekend. 

Noah Tussey, Stillwater - not exactly a household name in Minnesota today, but this season YHH expects Tussey to break out in Bantams for Stillwater after watching him play in the BEL.

Blake Biondi, Stars - great hands...the type of player who uses his body and strength to win puck battles.

Nolan Krenzen, Stars - great puck skills...one of the best defensemen in the BEL. Turns heads with how complete his game is.