The Winnipeg Jets have re-signed defenseman Tyrel Bauer to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal will see Bauer earn $775,000 at the NHL level and $100,000 in the American Hockey League (AHL). The contract includes $125,000 guaranteed.
Bauer, 23, is coming off his three-year, entry-level contract. Throughout that period, the Cochrane, Alberta native played exclusively for the Manitoba Moose, the Jets' AHL affiliate. In 163 AHL games, Bauer has recorded four goals and 12 assists, accumulating 291 penalty minutes. He was originally drafted by the Jets in the sixth round, 164th overall, in the 2020 NHL Draft.
After showing promise in his initial seasons, Bauer's offensive output decreased this past year, with only two assists in 59 games. The Moose finished last in the Central Division, holding the second-worst record in the AHL. Bauer also posted a career-worst plus/minus rating of -21.
Bauer has developed a reputation as a tough player, amassing 24 fighting majors in his three professional seasons, including one in a preseason game against the Calgary Flames in 2023. He has reached 100 penalty minutes twice, including a career-high 105 PIM in the 2024-25 season.
Off the ice, Bauer has been recognized for his community involvement. He was the Moose's winner of the AHL Specialty Man of the Year award and also received the EPRA Julian Klymkiw Community Service Award and the Richard Bue Ultimate Teammate Award.
This signing indicates that the Jets see Bauer as a valuable depth piece, despite the slim chance of him being called up to the NHL unless he were to transition to forward. The team will keep him within the system for another season after his entry-level contract expired recently. Bauer will remain under team control next summer upon expiry. He is still two years away from being eligible for Group VI unrestricted free agency, which he will almost certainly qualify for if he reaches that stage.
With this signing, Winnipeg has 43 contracts out of a maximum of 50 for the upcoming season and still needs to sign RFAs Parker Ford, Dylan Samberg, and Gabriel Vilardi.
