Hockey A Family Tradition For Apps

He is one of Canada's most successful athletes and accomplished people. His family's legacy is just as interesting.

He captained the McGill University football team to an inter-collegiate title in 1936. He later played in the Canadian Football League with the Toronto Argonauts. He was also a two-time Canadian pole vault champion, also capturing the 1934 British Empire championship and competing at the Berlin Olympics in 1936.

He was also a veteran of World War II. And for 11 years he was an elected politician, including 3 years as a Minister of Correctional Services in Ontario.

But he will forever be remembered as captain of three Stanley Cup championship teams; as a Calder and Byng trophy winner and 7 time all star; as a Hockey Hall of Famer; as a Toronto Maple Leaf.

He is Syl Apps, "English Canada's Jean Beliveau." The "Nijinsky of the ice" was one of the most graceful and clean players ever to play the game, not unlike a modern day Joe Sakic.

He died of a mysterious neurological disorder over a decade ago, but the Apps legacy lived on his children and grandchildren.

Syl had 5 children of his own, including Robert (Bob) who went on to play in the Canadian Football League, and Syl Apps Jr., who starred with the Pittsburgh Penguins, among other teams, in the 1970s.

Syl Jr., has two kids who have continued on the proud family name in hockey.

Syl Apps III was team captain at prestigious Princeton University. Though never drafted into the NHL, he was signed by the Maple Leafs organization and spent several seasons in the minor leagues, but never got a chance at the big leagues. He retired in 2003 to pursue scholastic pursuits at Oxford University in England.

Syl Jr's daughter Gillian Apps was also a collegiate star at Dartmouth while studying psychology. She has emerged as one of the most dominating female hockey players in the world. A mainstay on the Canadian women's national team, winning gold medals at world championships and the 2006 and 2010 Olympic games.

Syl Jr. has another daughter, Amy, who is on Canada's national women's soccer team.