His name was Charles Joseph Sylvanus Apps. To those around the hockey world, he was simply known as Syl Apps — a former Olympic pole vaulter and member of the football team at McMaster University.
Big in stature, Apps represented Canada at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin as a pole vaulter where he finished sixth. But it was his career in football that ultimately led to a change in sports when Conn Smythe saw the former Olympian play at McMaster and signed him to a contract to play for his Toronto Maple Leafs in the NHL.
Born in the small town of Paris, Ontario, it was a no-doubter for Apps to sign with the Maple Leafs. As for his career, it spanned over 12 years, interrupted only by a two-year absence in which he fought in World War II as a member of the Canadian Army.
But it was in 1936 when Apps officially joined the Maple Leafs and suited up for his first game and rookie season in the NHL — a season for the ages — and a season that led to him winning the 1936-37 Calder Trophy as rookie of the year.
Syl Apps Finished Among the Best
It was November 5, 1936, when Apps officially debuted for the Maple Leafs in a 3-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings. Apps finished with no points and nothing to show for his inaugural game, but it was the beginning of a Calder-winning season that nobody could’ve expected.
Two nights later, on November 7, Apps contributed on both of his team’s goals scoring the first at 17:52 of the second period and assisting on a third period tally by Bob Davidson. The Maple Leafs still lost 3-2 to the New York Americans, but Apps was quickly becoming a household name.
Related: Revisiting Calder Trophy Seasons Collection
Apps played in all 48 games in his rookie season and had 11 multi-point games. That included a highlight-reel five assist game on January 30, 1937 in a 7-4 win over the Montreal Maroons and a two-goal performance when the Maple Leafs beat the Chicago Black Hawks 3-2 in overtime on January 16.
His season included a five-game point streak from February to March with six points over that span and another six-game streak earlier in the year in which he tallied 11 points.
When it was all said and done, Apps finished the season with 16 goals and 45 points in 48 games during the regular season — finishing second in league scoring, just one point back of Sweeney Schriner — earning him the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie.
Syl Apps Wore Blue, White And Red
Apps played just two playoff games following his rookie season and the Maple Leafs weren’t able to do much to close out that year. He did, however, get the chance to go on a couple playoff runs with the team over his career.
In fact, he played 69 career playoff games for the Maple Leafs with 25 goals and 53 points to show for it.
Now, Apps knew how to battle. In fact, his career took a turn following his first Stanley Cup win in 1941-42 and a tough season for the Maple Leafs in 1942-43, when he joined the Canadian Army during the Second World War. He served for two years, returning once the war was over and his spot on the Maple Leafs remained open.
He would go on to win two more Stanley Cups with the Maple Leafs in 1947 and 1948 as the captain of the franchise before retiring in 1948. It’s also worth noting that he scored six goals in the team’s final four regular season games in 1947-48 — including a hat trick in the final contest in Detroit — to finish his career surpassing the 200-goal plateau. It was a mark he wanted to achieve before hanging up his skates.
Apps’ Career Went Beyond the Boards
Along with the Calder Trophy that he won in his rookie season, Apps also added the Lady Byng Trophy in 1941-42 to his trophy case. A one-time honoured number by the Maple Leafs, his number 10 was officially retired by the franchise when Brendan Shanahan took over the front office.
He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1961 and was named as on of the NHL’s top-100 players of all-time in January 2017.
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It’s also worth noting that Apps became a political influence following his NHL career — representing the Progressive Conservative party from 1963-1975, including a stint from 1971-1974 as the Minister of Correctional Services.
He remains 14th on the Maple Leafs’ all-time goals list (201) and 21st on the team’s all-time points list (432). But it was his 45-point rookie season that really put his name on the map and kicked of his Hall of Fame career in the NHL.