^^^ His father retired so long before Junior started to play, there were no comparisons. Though I heard about Senior as the Olympian and hockey player, I remember him as politician. Junior's son actually a brief pro career. And one of the Apps women, Junior's daughter?, was prominent player in women's hockey.
Yes, Apps III played pro as well, though all of it in the deep minors, ECHL..... to
@reckoning & how Syl Apps Jr may have faired in Toronto.... I suspect he mightve faired about as well as Terry Clancy, as yes, comparisons would have just naturally occurred & it would have been difficult for anyone really to thrive in the shadow that his father cast. Growing up, Syl Apps Jr was given a rough ride at the amateur levels, sometimes by teammates, never as easy as some might presume being the son or even sibling of a star player, even one long retired. Kids will run at anyone with a famous last name, mistakenly believing they'll be noticed, make a name for themselves.
Starting out in the NHL, Syl Apps Jr didnt get a lot of ice time with the Rangers, 70, 71, NY trying to make lots of noise, had decent depth, some great vets, Apps Jr expendable & traded to Pittsburgh which was a Godsend for the guy as the Penguins were Coached by former Leaf & Red Wing Alumni Red Kelly who had played against Apps Sr... knew him well, big admirer, saw much of Apps Sr in Jr, a diamond in the rough, gave him the opportunity to play, nurtured him along.... I do recall lifelonghf that Red did compare Jr to Sr when asked to do so specifically, basically saying that he was every bit the skater & stickhandler that was Sr, stronger.... but didnt expound further that I can recall, that he didnt seem to have the same vision, drive & determination as his father who had of course been brought up during an entirely different era, the Great Depression, entirely different set of circumstances, whole different attitude towards things, life in general. School, character issues, those things way more important to Apps Sr in raising his son, hockey a luxury, a pastime, and if Jr failed to maintain at least a 70 average in school, no hockey.