Bauer making an impact on and off the ice

You don’t have to tell the Manitoba Moose how much of an impact Tyrel Bauer has on and off the ice — the club experiences it on a regular basis.

But now the rest of the hockey world knows it after Bauer was named the winner of the Yanick Dupré Memorial Award for the 2025-26 season.

This prestigious honour has been presented annually since 1998 to an AHL player for his contributions to his local community and charities. It is selected by the AHL and representatives from two partner organizations from among 32 individual team Man of the Year honorees.

Bauer, 24, just wrapped up his fourth pro season of hockey with the Moose after being selected by the Jets in the sixth round of the 2020 draft. The Alberta native is one of the toughest customers in the league, racking up 401 penalty minutes so far in his career while also chipping in five goals and 16 assists over 214 AHL games.

The former captain of the Seattle Thunderbirds is a fearless shot blocker, will drop the gloves on a dime to protect his teammates and is a natural leader. He appeared on the cusp of his first NHL call-up late this past season, only to suffer an injury.

Don’t be surprised to see him get some time with the Jets starting in the fall.

When he’s not lacing up the skates, Bauer is keeping busy with numerous community initiatives. He works with the Kinship and Foster Family Network of Manitoba which allows several foster families over the course of the season to attend Moose games, receive gift bags from the team and meet Bauer after the game.

Bauer also served as a volunteer coach for a U-11 boys’ team at the Winnipeg Jets Hockey Academy this past year and made appearances at events for Project 11 — the True North Youth Foundation’s initiative in honour of former Jets and Moose player Rick Rypien — to help educate youth on the importance of mental health.

Bauer also visited residents at St.Amant, a non-profit organization which supports more than 5,000 Manitobans with developmental disabilities, autism and acquired brain injuries, and participated in several team events including holiday gift drives, school reading appearances and autograph sessions.

The AHL’s annual Man of the Year award is named after Dupré, who died in 1997 at the age of 24 following a 16-month battle with leukemia. Dupré, an NHL draft pick of the Philadelphia Flyers in 1991, played four seasons in the AHL with the Hershey Bears and was an AHL All-Star in 1995.

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