Bauer personifies Moose, the Jets’ commitment to the community | TheAHL.com
Patrick WilliamsTheAHL.com Features Writer
Anyone who watches the Manitoba Moose can immediately see what it is Tyrel Bauer it brings snow.
The Alberta-born defenseman throws it back for us. Strong defensively and quick to defend his teammates, the 6-foot-4, 216-pound Bauer has become a fan favorite at the Canada Life Centre, collecting 401 penalties in 214 games.
In junior hockey, he was captain in his third season in the Western Hockey League. And he emerged as a leader with Moose.
However, off the ice, he is a softie. That’s why the AHL, along with the representatives of the IOA and American Specialty, chose him as the winner of this season’s Yanick Dupré Memorial award. The award, given to a player for “outstanding contributions to his community and charitable organizations,” honors Yanick Dupré, the Hershey Bears shortstop who died at just 24 in 1997 after a battle with leukemia.
Bauer has immersed himself in Winnipeg life in his four seasons in the city. He was twice named Manitoba’s IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year award, and has since joined. Jimmy Oligny (2022-23) and Jimmy Roy (2002-03) as winners of the Dupré Award from Moose.
“This is a really special award for many reasons,” Bauer said. “When I got the call I was doing research on Yanick and what he means to the community and his story.
To start, the 24-year-old Bauer partnered with the Kinship and Foster Family Network of Manitoba on a program that brings foster families to Moose home games. There, they meet Bauer and also take home gift bags from the group.
Then there’s Project 11, which is a major project in and around the Jets organization and Winnipeg. It is part of the sunset Rick RypienThe estate, along with several long-time members of the organization had strong ties to Rypien going back to his days with the birth of Moose in town. Part of the True North Youth Foundation, Project 11 emphasizes mental health education. Bauer has stepped up to the plate as well, coaching the under-11 boys team at the Winnipeg Jets Hockey Academy, and serving as a keynote speaker at TNYF’s annual gala.
Geography means the Moose have a very demanding AHL road schedule, and time can be hard to come by during a 72-game regular season. But Bauer is also eligible for a class visit with St. Amant, a non-profit organization that helps people in the state deal with developmental disabilities, autism, and brain injuries. His community tour and holiday gift drive, class, autograph sessions, and performance in the Moose Backyard Rink Contest.
It’s a heavy workload beyond what the schedule already required, but Bauer takes it on with glee.
Oligny captained the Moose during Bauer’s rookie season and made a strong impression.
“A lot of what I learned on the ice, I learned from him,” Bauer recalled of his former defensive pairing partner. “He’s a really good guy… in building relationships, bringing in young guys, and welcoming and making me feel part of the team.
“And then seeing him at these community events and the way he interacts with people, the way he interacts with kids or adults or fans in a really sincere way taught me a lot, enough that I wanted when Jimmy was gone, I took over his adoption program. I asked him, I said, ‘Hey, what are you planning to do with this? Can I take it on your behalf?’ He was all on board. You could see the excitement to see this program continue because of what it means to the community.”
Bauer also recognizes a cut-and-dried truth: nothing in the hockey business works without fans and supportive communities at all levels. Whether that’s an activity on the ice with the kids or a Jets game at the Canada Life Centre, the fans make the game go.
“As a hockey player,” said Bauer, “we’re in a really unique position to give back to the community. I mean, our job is to play hockey, but we wouldn’t have that if it weren’t for the fans in the community who cheer us on and support us. So, being able to give back to them and show our sincere appreciation for what they do for us is important.”
AHL players like Bauer are young, healthy, pursuing a lifelong dream, and have bright futures. But as Dupré’s passing in 1997 drove home, life can quickly become difficult — whether it’s through illness, addiction, financial stress, or other pain. For all his early success and call-ups away from the NHL, Bauer has always been aware of those realities outside the rink.
“Everybody goes through something, something in their life,” said Bauer. “They have their own challenges that are unique to them. People just want to feel connected. They want to be heard. They want to feel seen, and that’s normal for everyone. Being able to share and have fun and have a laugh or a smile can really go a long way.”
Like Oligny, Bauer is now one of those veteran voices inside the Moose locker room. He will continue to spread the message he heard the first time he arrived on the Moon.
“It’s really about bringing the community together, and I’m very grateful to have that opportunity. We all have a lot of pride in playing in Winnipeg.”
In the American Hockey League for two decades, TheAHL.com features writer Patrick Williams and currently covers the league for NHL.com and FloSports and is a regular contributor to SiriusXM NHL Network Radio. He was the recipient of the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for the league’s top scorer in 2016.
