Syl Apps

Charles Joseph Sylvanus "Syl" Apps, (January 18, 1915 – December 24, 1998) of Paris, Ontario, was a Canadian athlete and professional player for the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1936 to 1948.

Athletic Career
Apps was a strong athlete, 6 feet tall, weighing 185 pounds, and won the gold medal at the 1934 British Empire Games in the pole vault competition. Two years later he represented Canada at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany, where he placed sixth in the pole vault event. After watching him play Canadian football at McMaster University, Conn Smythe signed Apps to play hockey with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Apps played centre with the Toronto Maple Leafs for his entire professional hockey career. His jersey number was 10. He was the winner of the first Calder Trophy in 1937, and the 1942 Lady Byng Memorial Trophy. Apps served as the Maple Leafs captain during the first National Hockey League All-Star Game October 13, 1947, at Maple Leaf Gardens. He also played for an all-star team competing in Montreal on October 29, 1939, to raise money for Babe Siebert's family.

Apps retired from the NHL in 1948 and took a marketing job with the Simpson's department store. At the same time, he also served as the Ontario Athletic Commissioner. Fifty years after retiring from hockey, Apps suffered a heart attack and died as a result.

Honours
Apps was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1961. In 1975 he was elected to Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. In 1998, he was ranked number 33 on the List of 100 greatest hockey players by The Hockey News.

The sports arena in his home town of Paris is named the Syl Apps Community Centre.

Won the Stanley Cup 1942, 1947, 1948 (as Captain with Toronto)

Family
His son Syl Apps, Jr. also played in the NHL. His granddaughter Gillian Apps won the Gold medal in the 2006 Olympics for Canada's Women's Ice Hockey Team, and his grandson Syl Apps III was a college hockey star at Princeton University and played four years in the minor leagues.

Records once held by Syl Apps

 * Toronto Maple Leafs Most Goals- 201, surpassed by Ted Kennedy (231) and currently held by Mats Sundin (420).


 * Toronto Maple Leafs Most Goals- 231, surpassed by Ted Kennedy (329) and currently held by Borje Salming (630).


 * Toronto Maple Leafs Most Goals- 432, surpassed by Ted Kennedy (560) and currently held by Mats Sundin (987).


 * Fastest player to reach 400 points- 387 GP, surpassed by Elmer Lach (365 GP) and currently held by Wayne Gretzky (197 GP).