Syl Apps
Syl Apps was born as Sylvanus Apps Sr on January 18, 1915 in Paris, Ontario. He was spotted by Maple Leaf boss Conn Smythe during a
football game at McMaster University in Hamilton, where Apps was studying economics. Smythe was so impressed by Apps as an athelete
that he offerred him a pro-hockey contract with the Maple Leafs. Syl decided to first try out his hand as a pole vaulter in the 1936
Berlin Olympics and played his first pro-hockey game with the Tornonto Dominions in 1935-36. The following season he was with the
Toronto Maple Leafs, winning the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year.
Syl Apps was one of the most skilled hockey players of his time. Standing in at six feet tall, he was strong on and off the puck and
possessed one of the best shots in his time. He also has a rare feat of winning the Lady Byng Trophy in 1942 after going an entire season
without a single penalty minute. During the prime of his career, he left hockey and spent two years with the Canadian
Army for the Second World War. His success on the ice was clear with the performance of the Toronto Maple Leafs, with Apps leading
them to three Stanley Cup victories in 1942, 1947 and his final season in 1948. He went on to serve as a Conservative member of
parliament from Kingston and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1961. The Toronto Maple Leafs also honored his #10 at Maple
Leaf Gardens in 1993. Syl Apps passed away on Christmas eve in 1998.
Syl Apps' Career Statistics
Year Team GP G A Pts Pim 1936-37 Toronto Maple Leafs 48 16 29 45 10 1937-38 Toronto Maple Leafs 47 21 29 50 9 1938-39 Toronto Maple Leafs 44 15 25 40 4 1939-40 Toronto Maple Leafs 27 13 17 30 5 1940-41 Toronto Maple Leafs 41 20 24 44 6 1941-42 Toronto Maple Leafs 38 18 23 41 0 1942-43 Toronto Maple Leafs 29 23 17 40 2 1945-46 Toronto Maple Leafs 40 24 16 40 2 1946-47 Toronto Maple Leafs 54 25 24 49 6 1947-48 Toronto Maple Leafs 55 26 27 53 12 Career Totals 423 201 231 432 56
Syl Apps Pictures
