Bauer no longer one-trick pugilistic pony

A funny thing happened along the way as Winnipeg Jets prospect Tyrel Bauer began to establish himself as a true heavyweight and one of the toughest customers in the American Hockey League.

“The one thing Tyrel has brought to his game now is he’s a good hockey player,” his head coach Mark Morrison said Thursday.

“You know, we used to not care so much if Tyrel missed five minutes for a fight. Now we do. We need him on the ice. He’s brought a whole different element to his game. He can’t just fly off the handle and sit in the penalty box.”

While Morrison’s words may strike some as a backhanded compliment, that’s not the case: It’s high praise for a player who has become a fixture on the Manitoba Moose blue line — and perhaps on the cusp of an NHL debut.

Bauer, 24, may best be known for the damage he can do with his fists, but it’s the other parts of his game that may ultimately extend his pro career.

His value was on full display last weekend as the Moose staved off elimination with a pair of 2-1 victories over the Milwaukee Admirals to advance to the Central Division semifinal of the Calder Cup playoffs. Bauer played a big role, particularly on a penalty killing unit that went 7-for-7 and blocked countless shots in the process.

“There’s all sorts of things Tyrel brings. He certainly gives us all sorts of courage,” said Morrison.

“He’s a great penalty killer, he brings the toughness, he brings the energy. His character is unmatched. I can’t say enough good things about this young man.”

Bauer, the former captain of the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League, is now in his fourth pro season after being drafted in the sixth round by the Jets in 2020. While his point totals will never jump off the page — he has just 21 (five goals, 16 assists) in 214 career AHL games — the 401 combined penalty minutes sure do.

But he’s no longer just a one-trick pugilistic pony, which is why the Jets were seriously considering calling him up down the stretch of the regular season. Bauer ultimately suffered an injury which prevented that from happening, but it won’t be a surprise to see him get NHL action as early as next season.

“You want to progress as a player. You want to learn. And that’s been my goal from day one,” said Bauer. “It’s been up-and-down, as it is for a lot of players.”

Knowing he’s on Winnipeg’s radar — general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff praised him publicly at the trade deadline — only adds to his motivation and confidence.

“Naturally, it’s cool to hear. It’s everybody’s dream to play in the NHL. You watch guys go up, it’s exciting to see them go up and get to play in the best league in the world,” said Bauer.

If and when Bauer gets the call, expect a flood of past and present teammates to be cheering him on.

“I’ve known him for a while, just training with him in the summers. You know the type of guy he is. He loves the game. He’s a nice guy to everybody, no matter who you are. As a teammate you see it firsthand,” said Moose forward Jaret Anderson-Dolan.

“He loves being at the rink, he’s one of the last guys on the ice every day. And then obviously the tough side of it where he steps up for teammates. Everybody sees that. Having a guy like that in the room, you can’t even really put into words what he means to this group.”

For now, the six-foot-four, 216-pound Bauer is focused on trying to muscle the Moose as far as he can in the playoffs.

“It just keeps getting better,” he said of having one series victory under the belt already.

‘“You just want to keep snowballing. That was a lot of fun. For our group, our players, to feel that energy. It was a spark for our group, to know what it feels like to win a tight game that means something.”

Managing emotions in playoffs can be tough, especially for someone with an admittedly short fuse like Bauer. That’s likely going to be tested against a deep Grand Rapids team.

“Playoffs go up a notch in intensity,” he said. “We know what they’re going to do. We’re worried about us. We’re going to defend, we’re going to play hard, we’re going to make this building a difficult building to play in like we did the last series. We feel good. We feel ready. We’re going to rise up to the challenge.”

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