Syl Apps facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Syl AppsCM |
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| Hockey Hall of Fame, 1961 | |||||||||||||
Apps with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1942
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| Born | January 18, 1915 Paris, Ontario, Canada |
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| Died | December 24, 1998 (aged 83) Kingston, Ontario, Canada |
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| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||||||||||||
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb) | ||||||||||||
| Position | Centre | ||||||||||||
| Shot | Left | ||||||||||||
| Played for | Toronto Maple Leafs | ||||||||||||
| Playing career | 1936–1948 | ||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Charles Joseph Sylvanus Apps (born January 18, 1915 – died December 24, 1998) was a famous Canadian athlete and politician. He was best known for his amazing career as a professional ice hockey player for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Apps was also an Olympic pole vaulter and later became a politician in Ontario. In 2017, he was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' of all time.
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A Star Athlete
Syl Apps was a very strong and talented athlete. He was six feet tall and weighed 185 pounds. He won a gold medal in pole vaulting at the 1934 British Empire Games. Two years later, he represented Canada at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany. There, he finished sixth in the pole vault event.
After seeing him play Canadian football at McMaster University, Conn Smythe, the owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs, signed Apps to play hockey.
Hockey Career Highlights
Apps played as a centre for the Toronto Maple Leafs for his entire professional hockey career. His jersey number was 10. He won the first-ever Calder Memorial Trophy in 1937, which is given to the best rookie player. He also won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in 1942, which is for sportsmanship and skill.
Apps was the captain of the Maple Leafs during the first National Hockey League All-Star Game in 1947. He was at the peak of his career when he decided to join the Canadian Army during World War II in 1943. He served for two years. When the war ended, he returned to captain the Leafs. He helped them win two more Stanley Cups in 1947 and 1948.
Apps thought about retiring after the 1947 Stanley Cup win. But he decided to play one more season to reach 200 career goals. He scored 5 goals in the final two games of the 1947–48 season, passing his goal. Even though he had a great season, Apps retired from the NHL at age 33. He then took a job in marketing and also worked as the Ontario Athletic Commissioner.
Life in Politics
Even while playing hockey, Apps tried to enter politics. He ran for a seat in the Canadian Parliament in 1940 but did not win.
Later, Syl Apps became a politician in Ontario. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1963 to 1975. This means he helped make laws for the province of Ontario. He represented the areas of Kingston and Kingston and the Islands. From 1971 to 1974, he served as the Minister of Correctional Services.
His Legacy
Syl Apps was known for his amazing athletic skills, strong character, and great skating. Many people praised him, including other players and hockey experts. The Maple Leafs owner, Conn Smythe, called Apps the greatest player in the team's history. Other famous players like Ted Kennedy and Milt Schmidt also spoke highly of him.
In 1975, he was chosen for Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. Two years later, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada. This is a high honour given to Canadians who have made a big difference.
Several places are named after him, including:
- The Syl and Molly Apps Research Centre in Kingston, Ontario.
- The Syl Apps Youth Centre in Oakville, Ontario.
- The Syl Apps Community Centre, a sports arena in his hometown of Paris, Ontario.
In 1997, Syl Apps was inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame. An award for Ontario's Athlete of the Year, called the Syl Apps Award, was created in his honour in 1998. In 2001, Canada Post even put Apps on a special 47-cent postage stamp as part of an NHL All-Star series.
In 2017, the National Hockey League listed Apps as one of the 100 Greatest Players in the league's history.
Family Life
Syl Apps and his wife, Mary Josephine, had five children. One of their sons, Syl Apps Jr., also played in the NHL.
His granddaughter, Gillian Apps, followed in his footsteps. She won three gold medals in women's ice hockey at the Winter Olympics (in 2006, 2010, and 2014). His grandson, Syl Apps III, was a college hockey star. Another grandson, Darren Barber, won a gold medal in rowing at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
Honours and Awards
- Won the Calder Memorial Trophy in 1937.
- Named to the NHL Second All-Star Team in 1938, 1941, and 1943.
- Named to the NHL First All-Star Team in 1939 and 1942.
- Won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in 1942.
- Won the Stanley Cup three times: in 1942, 1947, and 1948.
- Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1961.
- Inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1975.
- Ranked number 33 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players in 1998.
- His number 10 jersey was officially retired by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2016.
- Named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in 2017.
Death
Syl Apps passed away on December 24, 1998, from a heart attack. He was buried in Mountview Cemetery in Cambridge, Ontario. After his death, the Maple Leafs honoured his jersey number 10, along with George Armstrong's number.
