David Bauer (ice hockey)

Edgar J. Bauer, c. 1900

David William Bauer was born on November 2, 1924, in Waterloo, Ontario.[1][2][3] His great-grandparents had emigrated from Bavaria to Waterloo via Buffalo, New York.[4] His father Sir Edgar J. Bauer was an automotive supplies manufacturer and a Knight Commander of the Order of St. Sylvester.[5] Edgar Bauer also served as president of Globe Furniture and the Waterloo Fire Insurance Company, and sat on the Waterloo City Council and the public utilities commission.[6] His mother Alice Bertha Hayes was active in the Catholic Women's League of Canada and a member of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Guild.[7]

Bauer was the youngest of 11 children and had five brothers and five sisters.[6][8] He attended St. Louis Separate School as a youth followed by three years at St. Jerome's College School.[4] As a youth, Bauer played pond hockey in Victoria Park with friends who included Howie Meeker and George Hainsworth Jr.[9] The Bauers later had an ice rink constructed at their house, including side boards, painted lines and floodlights.[4][8][10]

All of Bauer's brother played ice hockey and won a league championship. Bobby Bauer won two Stanley Cups playing for the Boston Bruins.[2][11] Bobby and Frank won the 1934 Memorial Cup playing for the Toronto St. Michael's Majors. Eugene won a league championship with the Kitchener Greenshirts in 1935. Jerry and Ray won a league championship with the Waterloo Siskins in 1940.[12]

Bauer aspired to play in the National Hockey League (NHL) and attended training camp for the Boston Bruins held in Hershey, Pennsylvania in October 1941. The highest level of hockey he had played at the time was as a centreman for his school team.[13] He was offered a contract to play for the Boston Olympics, a farm team for the Bruins. His father insisted his son was too young for professional hockey, and that he should first complete a proper education.[13][14] Bauer found the training camp to be a traumatic experience and he looked for something more in life.[15][16]

Memorial Cup trophy

"In a sense the founding of the national team dates back to when I was 15 years of age. It was then that my father told me that I would be a professional hockey player before I got an education — over his dead body. During those years he also impressed upon me the fact that one day I would have to account to God for the talents He had given me, and that there was a priority in terms of the development of our talents that included not just my own self-fulfillment but also the playing of a role in the development of world peace".

— Father David Bauer, 1971[15][16]

Bauer returned to Waterloo for another year at St. Jerome's, then followed in the footsteps of his brothers Frank and Bobby when he enrolled at St. Michael's College School to play hockey.[17] Bauer served as team captain of the Toronto St. Michael's Majors for two seasons from 1942 to 1944. He excelled as a student, played as a left winger, and was considered a gentlemanly player and a role model by his teammates.[18] During the summer between grades 11 and 12, Bauer returned home and was a pitcher in a senior baseball league in Waterloo.[15]

"Dave Bauer was a class act all the way. He could've been a good one. He had more determination than Bobby [Bauer]. I played against Bobby, he was finesse. Dave was more grinding, He had all kinds of talent, and when it came to determination, no one was better. He would've made it to the NHL easily if he had wanted to".

— John McCormack, 2009[14]

Bauer and the Majors were finalists for the J. Ross Robertson Cup in 1943–44 season, but lost to the Oshawa Generals. Wartime replacement rules allowed the Generals to add up to four players from the Majors in the remainder of the playoffs. Bauer played for the Generals team which won the Eastern Canada championship and then won the 1944 Memorial Cup to become Canadian junior champions. Bauer scored four goals and five assists during the championship series for the Generals.[19]

Bauer received two varsity letters for athletics at St. Michael's College School.[20] He also played golf, tennis, baseball and was the quarterback on the for St. Michael's football team.[21] The school had an undefeated football season in his senior year.[15]

Bauer played one final game for the Majors in the 1944–45 season, shortly before he enlisted in the Canadian Army on November 24, 1944, and assigned to Basic Training Unit 12 in Chatham, Ontario. All of his brothers completed military service during World War II; Bobby and Ray were in the Royal Canadian Air Force, Jerry was in the Royal Canadian Navy, and Frank, Eugene and Dave were in the Canadian Army. While serving with the army, Bauer played hockey for the Royal Canadian Postal Corps in the Ottawa National Defence Hockey League and then briefly with the Windsor Spitfires in the Windsor City Hockey League. He enrolled at the University of Toronto upon release from the Army.[22] His playing career ended with the University of Toronto Varsity Blues during the 1945–46 season after he began studies for priesthood.[23]

St. Basil's Church, Toronto

Bauer went to Richmond Hill in 1946, and entered the novitiate for the Congregation of St. Basil to study for the priesthood, then took his religious vows on September 12, 1947. He returned to the University of St. Michael's College at the University of Toronto to complete undergraduate studies and earned a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy in 1949. His influences as a student included philosopher Jacques Maritain and writer Christopher Dawson.[23] Bauer earned his teaching certificate from the Ontario College of Education in 1951.[25]

In 1952, the Bauer family was a major contributor towards funding and establishing the Carmel of St. Joseph Monastery in St. Agatha near Waterloo.[26] Bauer was ordained as a Catholic priest on June 29, 1953, at St. Basil's Church in Toronto by Cardinal James McGuigan.[23] Bauer conducted his first mass as a priest at St. Jerome's Roman Catholic Church in Waterloo in 1953.[26]

St. Michael's College School

Bauer taught at St. Michael's College School from 1953 to 1961, and sought for the education system to produce more wise leaders. The school was operated by the Basilian fathers. Their motto, "Teach me goodness, discipline and knowledge" was derived from Psalm 119.[23][25] Bauer taught ethics, religion, theology and history, while coaching the hockey and football programs. In January 1957, he was named assistant principal of St. Michael's.[27]

Bauer sat on the junior ice hockey council for the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA),[28] and coached and managed teams at all levels of hockey offered by St. Michael's.[29] He protected his players against the advances of professional teams that tried to sign junior-aged players to contracts, and felt that the players needed more time to develop.[30] He and the Basilian fathers lobbied for a shortened schedule for the Toronto St. Michael's Majors in the OHA's top tier of junior hockey after the 1958–59 season, since they believed it was too long and detrimental to academic studies for their students.[31]

St. Michael's College School arena

Bob Goldham resigned as head coach of the Majors in 1960, and Bauer took over as head coach for the 1960–61 OHA season in addition to his role as general manager.[14][30] He stressed fundamentals of defensive play without the puck and taught players how to absorb contact without getting hurt. He occasionally had his players switch positions with one another to learn an appreciation of their teammate's contributions.[32] The Majors finished in second place during the season, then defeated the Guelph Royals in the playoffs for the OHA championship. The Majors won the Eastern Canada final defeating the Moncton Beavers then travelled to Edmonton to play in the 1961 Memorial Cup. The Majors defeated the Edmonton Oil Kings in six games and won the school's fourth Memorial Cup.[33]

The Basilian fathers again discussed the length of the season and the amount of travel having an effect on academics. They were also concerned with increasing physical play and growing similarities with professional leagues. The Majors had played 98 games including the regular season and playoffs for the Memorial Cup. St. Michael's could no longer justify participation in the top tier of the OHA and chose to withdraw from the Ontario Hockey Association Junior A series. Bauer stated in a 1987 interview that, "We regretted very much leaving because we knew that this [school] is a major recreational institution in this country".[14][31][34]

After the official announcement on June 6, 1961, Bauer placed his protégé Jim Gregory in charge of the team. The Majors operated for one more season and played a shortened 33-game schedule in the Metro Junior A League for the 1961–62 OHA season. The team was transferred to Neil McNeil High School and became known as the Toronto Neil McNeil Maroons in 1962.[35]

St. Mark's College

The Basilian fathers reassigned Bauer to St. Mark's College at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in 1961.[36][37] He taught ethics to nurses at the college, and served as the dean of residence and the chaplain at St. Paul's Hospital.[38]

Prior to Bauer's arrival at St. Mark's, he received a letter from the university's athletics department asking him to coach the UBC Thunderbirds which played in the Western Canadian Intercollegiate Athletic Association. He agreed to assist the coach for the 1961–62 season, but was initially reluctant to do more.[39] Players on the Thunderbirds wanted to get rid of coach Al Stuart and Bauer agreed to take over in January 1962, after persistent requests by the players and meetings with the UBC athletic director.[40]

After it was announced the Bauer was coaching, more players wanted to join the team in addition to Bauer beginning a recruitment program across Canada.[40] UBC physical education teacher Bob Hindmarch became general manager of the Thunderbirds and made the financial and academic arrangements for the players to get to Vancouver.[41] The university had no rink of its own at the time, and used Kerrisdale Arena or the North Shore Winter Club's curling rink for practice, with games played at the Vancouver Forum.[39] Bauer taught a defense first mentality to his team which was not the most skilled, and cancelled practices as needed to allow his players to catch up academically. The Thunderbirds won two exhibition games, but were winless in league games during the season.[42]

In the 1962–63 season, 120 players came to training camp for the Thunderbirds. Bauer selected the best skaters for the team, and arranged for exhibition games versus senior ice hockey teams in British Columbia. The Thunderbirds combined with players from the Toronto Marlboros to play an exhibition game versus the Soviet Union national ice hockey team, but lost by a 6–0 score. The Thunderbirds had an annual rivalry with the Alberta Golden Bears for the Hamber Cup, which they had never won since the trophy was established in 1950. The Thunderbirds won their first Hamber cup in a two-game series including a 3–2 overtime loss and a 3–1 victory.[43] Bauer led the Thunderbirds to eight wins, one loss and one tie in the regular season to win the Western Canadian Intercollegiate Athletic Association title, and qualify for the national championship. The Thunderbirds reached the final game of the Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union men's ice hockey championship tournament in Kingston, Ontario. They lost the championship game for the CIAU University Cup by a 3–2 score to the McMaster Marauders, who scored the winning goal scored on a power play resulting from a too-many-men-on-the-ice penalty.[44]

During the season, Bauer worked with Vancouver alderman Frank Fredrickson, to secure C$500,000 in funding necessary to build a new arena.[45] The Thunderbird Sports Centre opened in September 1963.[46]

Bauer's grave markers in Mount Hope Cemetery

Bauer was invited to assist the China men's national ice hockey team in advance of them hosting Group C during the 1981 Ice Hockey World Championships. A relationship for clinics run by UBC instructors had been developed by Bob Hindmarch, but Bauer was unable to travel since he was infected with shingles at the time and recommended another coach instead.[91]

Bauer was appointed vice-president of Hockey Canada in 1981, and chairman of the national team program for the 1984 Winter Olympics. He continued teaching at St. Mark's and assisting with the UBC Thunderbirds hockey team.[14][84] He wanted to keep the same national team together from the 1980 Winter Olympics and raised $400,000 towards the next Olympics. His involvement with the national team gradually decreased until he was in an advisory role with Hockey Canada by 1984.[97]

Bauer spent his last months resting at the family cottage in Bayfield, Ontario, after he had pancreatic surgery in July 1988. He died at the hospital in Goderich, Ontario from pancreatic cancer on November 9, 1988. He was remembered with services at St. Basil's Church in Toronto, and St. Louis Church in Waterloo, and was interred in the family plot in Mount Hope Cemetery in Waterloo.[3][98]

Bauer was an advocate for players remaining in amateur hockey to receive an education, as opposed to the growing professionalism in the being detrimental to opportunities from learning.[8] He felt that hockey was a means to teach the game of life and way for boys to become men, and modelled the national team after his experiences at St. Michael's. Bauer said that, "We try to give our players a well-rounded education, not merely ice skills but mental and moral conditioning as well".[14] He stated that, "If you can improve the boy as a person he will improve as a hockey player".[14][36][37] As a member of the Basilian Order, Bauer believed that education and the whole person were important and that an individual's relationship with God was only a portion of the whole.[55]

Bauer frowned upon the use of foul language or fisticuffs, and wanted his players to be gentlemanly.[99] He stressed discipline, teamwork and fair play. According to national team manager Rick Noonan, Bauer was gentle in his ways and "would consult and involve everybody" on the team.[37]

Glenn Anderson in 2008

Bauer had an impact on players for the Canadian national team. Glenn Anderson stated that, "Bauer's influence on me knows no bounds. Although he knew the game inside and out, he was more concerned with the human spirit. He had such an inner strength. And it rubbed off on me. I was blessed to have met him, while he walked among us. Bauer taught us more than a game, but how to have faith in ourselves to be the best".[100] Brian Conacher said, "I know that had I not played for Father Bauer, I would never have made it to the NHL. He taught me the discipline and the skills that were lacking. Father Bauer was very involved in the mental, physical and spiritual well-being of all his players. He truly was like a father to this whole group of guys. He was a very inspirational kind of coach. He left an indelible mark on every young man that he came in contact with".[14]

Bauer was among the inaugural appointees of the Order of Canada when it was established in 1967.[101] He was appointed an officer of the Order of Canada on July 6, 1967, for his contribution to ice hockey and the Canadian national team. The formal investiture was made by the Governor General of Canada on November 24, 1967.[102] Bauer was inducted into both the Waterloo County Hall of Fame, and the Waterloo County Sports Hall of Fame in 1972.[3] He was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame as a builder for ice hockey in 1973.[1]

Bauer was posthumously inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in the builder category in 1989,[1][84] the Olympic Hall of Fame in 1992,[36] the UBC Sports Hall of Fame in the builder category in 1996,[37] the IIHF Hall of Fame in the builder category in 1997,[1][14] the BC Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009,[36] and the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.[103]

The Canadian Press described Bauer as, "The kindly Roman Catholic priest who brought a reluctant Canadian hockey fraternity into the modern age of international play with his concept of a national team".[36] Canada's national team was called "the most nobly conceived of all Canadian hockey enterprises" in the book Hockey Is Our Game by Jim Coleman.[14] Bauer was "an inspirational coach, a caring educator, a master motivator" and "devoted to the concept that education and hockey could mix", according to Kevin Shea of The Hockey Hall of Fame.[14] Brian Conacher stated that, "Father Bauer, in many respects, was a visionary, a pioneer in recognizing how good European hockey had become. It became evident that the Canadian style — rough and tumble, we'll beat them in the alley if we can’t beat them on the rink type of attitude — was passé".[70]

Father David Bauer Olympic Arena in Calgary

Rick Noonan stated, "The fact that father was a Basilian priest, he used to worry about that a lot, that people would misinterpret that he was trying to turn everyone into a Catholic. But really, he was very ecumenical. Should a player take the Lord's name in vain in the heat of the moment during a game, he would find a gentle hand on his shoulder: "Now, now, I do the praying around here".[16][104] Tom Watt who was an assistant coach for the national team stated, "Father Bauer is a great Canadian, but I could never get it straight — sometimes when you thought you were talking about hockey, the priest came out of him and sometimes when you thought you were talking to a priest the hockey came out of him".[16]

Bauer is the namesake of two hockey arenas, including the Father Bauer Arena which opened in 1963 at the University of British Columbia,[105] and the Father David Bauer Olympic Arena in Calgary which was named for him in 1986 and served as a training facility for the Canadian national team.[14][84] He is also the namesake of a street named Father Bauer Drive in Waterloo.[8]

Scholarships awarded by St. Michael's College School and the University of British Columbia are named for Bauer.[14][37][84] Funds from the sale of the Bauer's family cottage were donated to endow the Quest Program to assist in communicating faith by electronic means at the Athol Murray College of Notre Dame in Wilcox, Saskatchewan.[106]

The foundation of the national team was featured in a Heritage Minutes clip,[107] and Bauer was subject of the biographical book Father Bauer and The Great Experiment by Greg Oliver.[16][108]

• Oliver, Greg (2017). Father Bauer and the Great Experiment: The Genesis of Canadian Olympic Hockey. Toronto, Ontario: ECW Press. ISBN 978-1-77041-249-1.
• Lapp, Richard M.; Macaulay, Alec (1997). The Memorial Cup: Canada's National Junior Hockey Championship. Madeira Park, British Columbia: Harbour Publishing. ISBN 1-55017-170-4.
• McKinley, Michael (2014). It's Our Game: Celebrating 100 Years Of Hockey Canada. Toronto, Ontario: Viking Press. ISBN 978-0-670-06817-3.
• Brown, Babe; Attersley, Bobby (1978). A History of the Oshawa Generals. One. Toronto, Ontario: Chimo Publishing. ISBN 0-920344-07-0.
• Young, Scott (1989). 100 Years of Dropping the Puck. Toronto, Ontario: McClelland & Stewart. ISBN 0-7710-9093-5.