1940. Student life and playing career 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. 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. Bauer later stated that it was a traumatic experience for him not to pursue his dream of playing professional hockey, which had resulted in him looking for something more in life. 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. 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. During the summer between grades 11 and 12, Bauer returned home and was a pitcher in a senior baseball league in Waterloo. 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. Bauer received two varsity letters for athletics at St. Michael's College School. He also played golf, tennis, baseball and was the quarterback on the for St. Michael's football team. The school had an undefeated football season in his senior year. 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