A three-time Olympic gold medalist in women’s hockey is set to speak at the annual Wallaceburg Sports Hall of Fame dinner and induction ceremony.
Gillian Apps will be the keynote speaker on January 28 at the UAW Hall in Wallaceburg.
Pete McCarter, a member of the Sports Hall of Fame committee in Wallaceburg, says the 33-year-old Apps has carried on the tradition of one of hockey’s greatest families.
Her grandfather Syl Apps was captain and a three-time Stanley Cup winner with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the late 1930’s and 1940’s.
He was recently voted the 2nd greatest player in franchise history behind only Dave Keon, McCarter said.
Her father Syl Apps Jr. played 10 seasons in the NHL with the New York Rangers, LA Kings and most notably with the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he scored 99 points in 1975/76.
After graduating from Havergal College in 2001, Gillian Apps played with the Toronto Aeros and the following year she was a member of the Beatrice Aeros team that won the Ontario Senior Women’s Hockey Championship.
Following that it was off to Dartmouth University in New Hampshire where she was a force for the ‘Big Green’ scoring 90 goals and 68 assists for 158 points in only 113 games over four years, McCarter said.
A psychology major at Dartmouth, Apps capped off her NCAA career by being named the East Coast Athletic Associations Player of the Year for 2007.
Her career with the Canadian Women’s national team would prove to be an outstanding one.
Before announcing her retirement from the national team in 2015, she competed in three Olympic Games winning a gold medal with Team Canada in all three – 2006 in Turin Italy, 2010 in Vancouver and 2014 in Sochi, Russia.
She also competeed for her country in eight IIHF World Championships, winning three golds and five silver medals.
In 164 career games for Canada, Apps scored 50 goals and had 50 assists for 100 points.
Since her retirement from the National team she has competed in the 2015 Muskoka Iron Man Triathlon and still skates for the Brampton Thunder of the NWHL.
Most recently she was named to the coaching staff of the Boston College Eagles Women’s Hockey Club, McCarter said.
Inductees announced for Sports Hall of Fame
The Sports Hall of Fame committee has also announced their annual inductees for 2017.
– Mark Childs, builder
– G&B Sports 1983 OASA Oldtimer Slow Pitch Champions, team
– Josh McNaughton, Dan Bertrand Memorial Award of Excellence – Male Athlete
– Jaime Gittens, Marion and Bill Chinnick Memorial Award of Excellence – Female Athlete
Watch for more details about the inductees on the Sydenham Current.
The annual award winners this year include: Jonah Pataki, Ric Vancollie, Torri Handsor, Casey McGee, Penny and Bob Bishop and Brad Maxim. For more details about the annual winners, check out our coverage:Â Wallaceburg Sports Hall of Fame announces 2016 winners
Tickets are available for the event from any Sports Hall of Fame member.
They are also available at Kim Murray Insurance on McNaughton Avenue in Wallaceburg.
