North Hills Hockey Retires No. 25 in Honor of Former Teammate

The North Hills varsity hockey team retired the No. 25 jersey Monday in honor of former teammate Thomas William "TJ" Bauer Jr. Monday before its game against West Allegheny. 

Bauer, 19, died May 9 in a motorcycle accident at the intersection of Bellevue and Schwitter Avenues near the Ross Township and West View Borough line. 

Born in Franklink Park, he was a 2010 graduate of .

A member of the varsity hockey team for one season, he played forward in the wing. In addition to retiring the jersey number, a team banner hanging in the RMU Island Sports Center now carries a No. 25 in a circle in its upper left-hand corner.

His family — parents, several aunts and younger brother, Travis — all turned out Monday for the honor, as did many former teammates now in college in places such as State College and Erie and Slippery Rock. 

The center of attention in the lockerroom, Bauer loved hockey, said the friend who got him into the sport, Derrick Belke, in a tribute before the game.

Bauer was fast on the ice — even though he couldn't stop or turn well, he said.

"He wasn't always the best scorer," Belke said. "But he always gave 110 percent. He was a great teammate on and off the ice." 

Outside the arena, a friend, Hank Hanasik of Fractured Designs, sold T-shirts he had designed to help raise money for the family. They featured images of Bauer on his motorcycle. 

"TJ was such larger than life," his mom, Pam Angell said. "He would love this. He would really love this." 

Bauer was attending Community College of Allegheny County. 

North Hills lost Monday's game, 9-0.