Stuart and Bauer agreed to take over in January 1962, after persistent requests by the players and meetings with the UBC athletic director. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. During the season, Bauer worked with Vancouver alderman Frank Fredrickson, to secure C$500,000 in funding necessary to build a new arena. The Thunderbird Sports Centre opened in September 1963. International ice hockey National team proposal Bauer and his brother Ray attended the 1962 Ice Hockey World Championships in Colorado Springs, Colorado, which was the first time North America