The St. Boniface Riels’ new captain is a powerhouse on the blue line, a leader in the dressing room and a future dentist who knows exactly where he's going.
Because while we all know that there are plenty of hockey players who can knock your teeth out, Dylan Bauknecht would rather learn how to put them back in.
Of course, if you happen to be an opposing forward in the Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League, you might want to keep your head up anyway.
The new captain of the Riels is a six-foot, hard-skating, offensively gifted defenseman who can dominate a game at both ends of the ice. He's also a university science student with plans to become a dentist.
And according to Riels’ head coach Jeff Mitchell, he's just about everything a hockey coach could want in a captain.
"I always say he's a man playing against boys," Mitchell said. "He's a big body, big frame. A top defenseman with offensive skills.”
But that's only part of the story.
Now entering his fourth season with the Riels, Bauknecht has become one of the club's most important players, earning the captaincy through a combination of talent, maturity, dedication and the kind of leadership that doesn't require a lot of shouting.
For the lifelong Southwood resident, wearing the captain's letter for his neighborhood junior team is something special.
"Yeah, it feels good, that's for sure," Bauknecht said.
His hockey journey began in the Southdale area (Royalwood), where he played for the St. Boniface Seals before graduating to the Railcats for U11 AA. From there, he moved to the Warriors and eventually the Winnipeg Bruins, where he spent two seasons at U17 and another at U18.
Then came the Riels.
And that's where his hockey career took an interesting turn.
Although he'd always been a capable defenseman, Bauknecht credits the Riels' coaching staff with helping him discover an offensive dimension he hadn't fully developed during his minor hockey years.
"Ever since I joined the Riels, my game has actually taken a little bit of a turn," he explained. "Jeff, as well as Tyler Moore, and then our old coaches Zach Franco and Sean Christensen, they've definitely unlocked an offensive side to me that I didn't have back when I played Bruins and Warriors."
It didn't hurt that he also experienced a rather significant growth spurt.
"It also helped that I grew from about 5-foot-4 to 6-feet tall," he said.
The additional size gave him the confidence to become more physically involved, handle the puck with greater authority and attack offensively.
Today, he's a defenseman who can do just about everything.
"Great shot, has hands, has skill and an excellent skater," Mitchell said. "He can go end to end and push guys off no problem and somehow get to the net with the puck still. Or make a nice play out of it."
Mitchell uses him in every situation — power play, penalty killing and heavy five-on-five minutes.
"He's a Swiss Army knife," the coach said.
However, Bauknecht's greatest contribution might be something that doesn't appear on a scoresheet: Leadership.
While some captains command attention with fiery speeches, Bauknecht prefers to set the example through his performance.
"I think a big reason I’m the captain is my on-ice play," he said. "I lead on-ice, mostly. There will be times in the room where I feel it's needed that I'll speak up, but I feel the majority of it is due to just the things that happen on the ice, and being that unselfish player, and being vocal when it needs to be."
Mitchell believes that approach has earned his captain enormous respect.
"He communicates with his guys,” said the coach. “He's a leader on our team. He's kind of one of those guys that speaks up and guys listen.
"He's got respect not just from our team but other guys in the league as well. He's just a very mature and well put together all-around good guy."
That maturity extends well beyond the rink.
Dylan Bauknecht by Dave Willson
Bauknecht is currently working toward an undergraduate science degree, with plans to apply to dentistry. It's an ambitious academic path, particularly for someone also playing competitive junior hockey.
And it's one of the reasons the MMJHL has been such a perfect fit.
Rather than pursue a more demanding junior hockey schedule in the MJHL or even the WHL, Bauknecht chose a league that allowed him to maintain his academic priorities without sacrificing his love of the game.
"I prioritize school pretty heavily," he said. "I'm super involved in a heavy course load, so this league just lets me prioritize school while also playing high-level hockey as well."
He also appreciates the flexibility offered by the MMJHL and the Riels organization, particularly during university midterms and final examinations.
For Bauknecht, it's the best of both worlds. He gets to play the game he loves, represent the community where he grew up and pursue a professional career away from the ice.
And now, he gets to do it as captain.
As for that future career in dentistry? Well, one thing is certain.
Dylan Bauknecht has plenty of reasons to smile.
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