On This Day January 18th.

Syl AppsSyl Apps
January 18:  On this day in 1915, legendary Leaf center and team captain Sylvanus Apps was born in Paris, Ontario.  Before starring in the NHL, Apps had competed for Canada in the 1936 Olympics as a pole-vaulter. Syl played his entire NHL career as a Leaf between 1936 and 1948, helping the Leafs win three Stanley Cups. He missed a couple of seasons in the mid-1940's due to enlistment in the Canadian army in WW-II. He won the Calder trophy in 1937 after a rookie season when he led the NHL with 29 assists. In 1942, Apps won the Lady Byng trophy as he recorded 0 penalty minutes. He served as Leaf team captain between 1940-43 and then again between 1945-48. As of 2007, he remains the only Leaf center
Syl AppsSyl Apps
to ever have been selected twice to the NHL's first All-Star team. His jersey number 10 is a Leaf honored number. In his NHL career Syl Apps had 201 goals and 231 assists in just 423 games. To that, he added 54 playoff points. Syl Apps was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1961. He passed away on Christmas eve, 1998.

Rick VaiveRick Vaive. Photo supplied by Mike Moore private collection.
January 18:  On this day in 1984, Three time 50 goal scorer Rick Vaive records his 4th hat trick of the season and the 7th. of his career in a 9-4 romp over the Minnesota North Stars.

Awards:
QMJHL Rookie of the Year (1977) Played in NHL All-Star Game (1982, 1983, 1984)

Career:
Signed as an underage free agent by Birmingham (WHA), May, 1978. Traded to Toronto by Vancouver with Bill Derlago for Tiger Williams and Jerry Butler, February 18, 1980. Traded to Chicago by Toronto with Steve Thomas and Bob McGill for Al Secord and Ed Olczyk, September 3, 1987. Traded to Buffalo by Chicago for Adam Creighton, December 26, 1988. Signed as a free agent by Vancouver, September 2, 1992. Named Head Coach of Mississauga (OHL), July 20, 2000.

January 18:  On this day in 2006, the Leafs lost to the Minnesota Wild for the first time since the Wild entered the NHL in 2000. The final score was 5-3 for the Wild. The Leafs and the Wild have only played each other 6 times in 6 seasons as at the end of 2006-07 and the Leafs have an all-time winning record against them of W-5, L-1, T-0, OL-0.


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