Father David Bauer
Encyclopedia
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
, CSB
Congregation of St. Basil
The Basilian Fathers, also known as The Congregation of Saint Basil, is an international order of Catholic priests and students studying for the priesthood, who focus on education and ministering through oratories....
(November 2, 1924 – November 9, 1988), a native of the Kitchener-Waterloo
Kitchener, Ontario
The City of Kitchener is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It was the Town of Berlin from 1854 until 1912 and the City of Berlin from 1912 until 1916. The city had a population of 204,668 in the Canada 2006 Census...
area of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, was an ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player, builder, and hockey pioneer who was ordained as a Catholic priest
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
in the Congregation of St. Basil
Congregation of St. Basil
The Basilian Fathers, also known as The Congregation of Saint Basil, is an international order of Catholic priests and students studying for the priesthood, who focus on education and ministering through oratories....
at the age of 29.
Hockey career
Bauer was the younger brother of hockey player Bobby BauerBobby Bauer
Robert Theodore Bauer was a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 10 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Boston Bruins.-Playing career:...
. A noted sportsman in his own right, Bauer turned down an offer to play for the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
farm team at the age of 16, so that he could attend St. Michael's College School
St. Michael's College School
St. Michael's College School is a private, all-boys Roman Catholic day school in Toronto, Canada. Currently administered by the Basilian Fathers, it is the largest school of its kind in Canada, with an enrollment of approximately 1,080 students from grades 7 to 12. St...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, where he played for various school teams from 1941 to 1945, and later the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
. In 1944, after St. Michael's was eliminated by the Oshawa Generals
Oshawa Generals
The Oshawa Generals are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. They are based in Oshawa, Ontario. The team is named for General Motors, an early sponsor which has its Canadian headquarters in Oshawa. The Generals are one of the most successful franchises in Canadian Hockey League...
in the playoffs, Oshawa was able to add three players to their roster for the 1944 Memorial Cup
1944 Memorial Cup
The 1944 Memorial Cup final was the 26th junior ice hockey championship of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. The George Richardson Memorial Trophy champions Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey Association in Eastern Canada competed against the Abbott Cup champions Trail Smoke Eaters of the...
championship series, and chose Bauer, as well as Ted Lindsay and Gus Mortson. He returned to the St. Michael's Majors for a single game in the 1944–45 campaign, choosing to enlist in the military instead as St. Michael's won the 1945 Memorial Cup
1945 Memorial Cup
The 1945 Memorial Cup final was the 27th junior ice hockey championship of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. The George Richardson Memorial Trophy champions Toronto St. Michael's Majors of the Ontario Hockey Association in Eastern Canada competed against the Abbott Cup champions Moose Jaw...
championship that spring. Following the end of the war, he decided against playing professional hockey, instead, choosing to enter the priesthood.
Coaching and team building
In 1953 after his ordination as a priest, Bauer returned to St. Michael's College as a teacher and became coach of the school's junior team. During the 1960s he helped lead the team to a Memorial Cup, and helped introduce such future hockey stars as Dave KeonDave Keon
David Michael Keon is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre. He played professionally from 1960–61 to 1981–82, including 15 seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1986....
of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Gerry Cheevers
Gerry Cheevers
Gerald Michael "Cheesey" Cheevers is a former goaltender in the National Hockey League and World Hockey Association between 1961 and 1980, most famous for his two stints with the Boston Bruins, where he backstopped the team to Stanley Cup wins in 1970 and 1972...
of the Boston Bruins.
In 1962, Bauer took a position at the St. Mark's College and the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
, where he came up with the idea to establish a national team of top amateurs from across Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The idea was presented to the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association
Canadian Amateur Hockey Association
The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association was the national governing body of amateur ice hockey play in Canada from 1914 until 1994 when it merged with the Canadian Hockey Association or Hockey Canada....
(CAHA) and by the end of 1962, Bauer's idea was accepted. Bauer made up his team of several top amateur players who became UBC students including Brian Conacher
Brian Conacher
Brian Kennedy Conacher was a professional ice hockey player and hockey broadcaster, specializing in colour commentary. He is the son of the legendary Lionel Conacher, who was voted Canada's top athlete for the first half of the century...
, Roger Bourbonnais
Roger Bourbonnais
Roger Bourbonnais is a retired ice hockey player.A native of Riviere Qui Barre, started his hockey career with the Oil Kings in 1960 and played with them through 1963...
and Marshall Johnston
Marshall Johnston
Lawrence "Marshall" Johnston is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played seven seasons in the National Hockey League with the Minnesota North Stars and California Golden Seals...
, and in 1964 they participated in the Olympics
Ice hockey at the 1964 Winter Olympics
At the 1964 Winter Olympics held in Innsbruck, Austria, one ice hockey event was held: men's ice hockey. This tournament was also counted as IIHF World Championship and IIHF European Championship. Games were held at the Olympiahalle Innsbruck....
in Innsbruck, Austria. The team put up a good fight, losing 3–2 in a gold medal game opportunity with the Soviet Union, but only came out in fourth place on goal difference. However, because of different rules for eliminating ties for Olympics and World Championships, the Canadian team was awarded a "world championship" bronze medal.
Bauer was later coach and general manager for Canada in the 1968 Olympics
Ice hockey at the 1968 Winter Olympics
At the 1968 Winter Olympics held in Grenoble, France, one ice hockey event was held: men's ice hockey. This tournament also counted as IIHF World Championship and IIHF European Championship...
, general manager in the 1965, 1966, 1967 and 1969 world championships. He managed the 1980 Canadian Olympic
Ice hockey at the 1980 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 1980 Winter Olympics was held at the Olympic Arena and the Olympic Fieldhouse in Lake Placid, New York. Twelve teams competed in the tournament, which was held from February 12 to February 24...
team as well.
Awards and legacy
Among Bauer's many awards and honours are, winning the Olympic bronze in 1968 as General Manager, World Championship bronze in 1964,1966 and 1967 as general manager, the Memorial Cup in 1944 as a player and in 1961 as a trainer (coach), being elected to the Hockey Hall of FameHockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
as a Builder in 1989, and the IIHF Hall of Fame
IIHF Hall of Fame
The IIHF Hall of Fame is a hall of fame which was established by the International Ice Hockey Federation in 1997, when 30 individuals were inducted at the world championships in Helsinki...
in 1997, both posthumously. Bauer was also named Vice-President of Hockey Canada
Hockey Canada
Hockey Canada, formally known as the Canadian Hockey Association, is the national governing body of ice hockey in Canada and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. Hockey Canada controls a vast majority of ice hockey in Canada, with a few exceptions...
in 1981, Chairman of Canada's Olympic hockey program also in 1981, named to the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
in 1967.
Father David Bauer Olympic Arena
Father David Bauer Olympic Arena
The Father David Bauer Olympic Arena is an ice hockey arena in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It seats about 1,750 for hockey with a standing room capacity of over 2,000...
in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, is named for him, as is the roadway Father David Bauer Drive in Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario
Waterloo is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It is the smallest of the three cities in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, and is adjacent to the city of Kitchener....
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. A bursary
Bursary
A bursary is strictly an office for a bursar and his or her staff in a school or college.In modern English usage, the term has become synonymous with "bursary award", a monetary award made by an institution to an individual or a group to assist the development of their education.According to The...
from St. Mark's College (affiliated with the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
) was also named for him in 1987. The University of British Columbia hockey alumni group has hockey bursaries in Father David Bauer's name for student athletes who make the varsity hockey team.
Bauer died in November 1988, at the age of 64 in Goderich, Ontario
Goderich, Ontario
Goderich is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario and is the county seat of Huron County. The town was founded by William "Tiger" Dunlop in 1827. First laid out in 1828, the town is named after Frederick John Robinson, 1st Viscount Goderich, who was British prime minister at the time. The town...
. He was buried in his family plot in Mount Hope Cemetery in Kitchener, Ontario
Kitchener, Ontario
The City of Kitchener is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It was the Town of Berlin from 1854 until 1912 and the City of Berlin from 1912 until 1916. The city had a population of 204,668 in the Canada 2006 Census...
.