Gillian Apps

The announcement that Gillian Apps was retiring from Canada's National Women's team, so ended one of hockey's great family lines - for now.

Gillian's father was Syl Apps Jr., who played over 700 games in a decade long career back in the 1970s.  And her grandfather was Syl Apps Sr., the Hockey Hall of Famer who is arguably the greatest player in Toronto Maple Leafs player. He was also an Olympic pole vaulter in 1936.

Apps may find herself in the Hockey Hall of Fame one day, too. Check out this resume:

• Three time Olympic gold medallist (2006, 2010 and 2014). She scored 10 goals and 21 points at the Olympics, including 7 goals and 14 points in 2006 when she was an All Star.
• Three time World Champion gold medallist (2004, 2007, 2012) as well as five-time silver medallist (2005, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013).
• 164 games played with the national team, scoring 50 goals and 50 assists.
• Eight gold medals at the Four Nations Cup (2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2013)

“I’m so proud to have worn the maple leaf alongside my teammates; we became like a family and those friendships are ones that I will cherish forever,” said Apps. “I have learned so much about myself through sport and my time with Canada’s National Women’s Team has taught me about strength, balance, perseverance, character, and support. I feel very grateful to have gone through so much being part of such an amazing program.”

Apps also starred at Dartmouth College where she earned a degree in psychology.

“Those were probably the best four years of my life,” Apps said. “Being a student athlete at Dartmouth was an incredible experience.”

She loves teaching young girls the game of hockey.

“I hope our success as a national team at the Olympics has inspired young girls across the country. They have some great opportunities. When I was their age, there were only boys’ hockey camps. So I didn’t attend camps, except for one I participated in with the boys.”