Tyrel Bauer wins AHL Yanick Dupré Memorial Award for community work

Tyrel Bauer turned 15 Manitoba Moose home games into a regular welcome point for foster families in Winnipeg, and that steady work pushed him to the top of the AHL’s community ladder. The Moose defenseman won the Yanick Dupré Memorial Award for the 2025-26 season after building his case through 40 community appearances, a year of hands-on service that went far beyond a ceremonial visit or a single photo opportunity.

Bauer’s impact stood out because it was personal and repeatable. He helped arrange nights at Moose games for families connected to the Kinship and Foster Family Network of Manitoba, handed out gift bags and spent time with kids and parents who kept showing up around the team. His relationship with a young fan named Noah became part of that story too, including custom-modified gloves that let Noah keep playing the sport he loves. That kind of detail is why Bauer’s honor lands differently than a generic award note: it was built on consistent presence, not one big gesture.

The Moose said Bauer was named the team’s IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year for a second straight season, making him one of the club’s most active off-ice representatives before he rose from among 32 individual team honorees across the league. He also won the Richard Bue Ultimate Teammate Award and the EPRA Julian Klymkiw Community Service Award in the Moose’s own player awards. Bauer coached a U-11 boys team at the Winnipeg Jets Hockey Academy for a third straight year, took part in Project 11 events tied to youth mental health, and made appearances that included a golf tournament, classroom visits and the True North Youth Foundation’s gala. His outreach also touched St. Amant, which supports more than 5,000 Manitobans with developmental disabilities, autism and acquired brain injury, along with school reading programs, holiday drives, Siloam Mission breakfast outreach and autograph sessions.

The league’s award carries real weight because it is named for Yanick Dupré, who died in 1997 at age 24 after a 16-month battle with leukemia. Dupré played four seasons with the Hershey Bears, was an AHL All-Star in 1995 and appeared in 35 NHL games with the Philadelphia Flyers. Bauer, who is only 24 himself, has already played 214 games with Manitoba over four pro seasons after the Winnipeg Jets picked him in the sixth round of the 2020 NHL Draft. The fit is obvious: the AHL is a development league, but its best players are often judged by what they do in their cities as much as what they do on the ice, and Bauer gave Winnipeg a strong example of both.