The bruising Moose defenceman earned league-wide honours for his relentless community service, balancing physical play on the ice with a dedicated commitment to Manitoba’s youth and foster families.
The American Hockey League named Manitoba Moose defenceman Tyrel Bauer as the recipient of the 2026 Yanick Dupré Memorial Award on Tuesday morning.
Presented annually to the AHL’s Man of the Year, the award recognizes players for outstanding contributions to their communities and charitable causes throughout the season.
Photo by Steve Sasaki/Game On MagazineBauer becomes just the third player in Moose franchise history to receive the honour, joining Jimmy Roy (2003) and Jimmy Oligny (2023). Which on its own sounds about right, but considering the league has 32 clubs, two winners in the past three years is quite an accomplishment.
The 24-year-old Cochrane, Alta. product made 40 community appearances during the 2025-26 season while supporting initiatives focused on foster families, youth mentorship, literacy and mental health awareness throughout Manitoba.
Among Bauer’s most notable community efforts was his continued work with the Kinship and Foster Family Network of Manitoba, where he welcomed foster families to 15 Moose home games throughout the season.
Selected by the Winnipeg Jets in the sixth round of the 2020 NHL Draft, Bauer has appeared in 214 career games with the Moose over four seasons.
The 6-foot-4, 216-pound defender also returned for a third consecutive year with the Winnipeg Jets Hockey Academy, mentoring a U11 team through the program aimed at improving attendance and graduation rates in socially and economically challenged Winnipeg schools.
The defenceman additionally participated in several Project 11 mental health initiatives, volunteered with organizations including Siloam Mission and Christmas Cheer Board, and took part in the Moose “Stick to Reading” literacy program.
Bauer was also recognized this season with the Moose GoodLife Fitness Fan Favourite Award, along with the EPRA Julian Klymkiw Community Service Award and Richard Bue Ultimate Teammate Award.
Bauer - who is well known for his fighting skills and physicality on the blueline - scored once, put up five points and a career-high 110 penalty minutes this season for Manitoba. Most notably, he finished a +11.