Pep Kelly

North Bay, Ontario's Regis Kelly was tagged early in his hockey life as a "pepperpot" of a play thanks mainly to his tireless skating. The moniker was shortened to the name almost everyone knew him best by - Pep.

The curly haired speedster was quickly noticed by the Leafs, as he helped the Newmarket Redmen win the Memorial Cup in 1933. The Leafs had him join the St. Mikes Majors the following year, and he again was a major part of a Memorial Cup championship, this time alongside future Leafs teammates Art Jackson and Nick Metz.

With his very successful junior career over, Kelly immediately joined the Maple Leafs in 1935. The Leafs were a regular season power house although they kept stumbling in the playoffs. But Kelly stepped in nicely, scoring 11 goals in 42 games as a rookie.

In the 1936-37 season the Leafs loaned the 5'7" and 155lb Kelly to Chicago for the balance of the season. He was returned to Toronto in the summer. The practice of loaning players to undermanned teams was not unheard of in this era.

Kelly played three more unspectacular seasons in Toronto, challenging the double digits mark in goals each season. He was also a regular on the penalty kill. He was able to help the Leafs reach five Stanley Cup finals, but he never did get the chance to hoist Lord Stanley's mug.

By 1940 he was permanently moved to Chicago, but by 1941 he would find himself toiling in the minor leagues (aside from a short tour with the Brooklyn Americans), bouncing around until he retired from pro hockey in 1943.

Pep Kelly played in 288 NHL contests, scoring 74 goals and 127 points. He added another 7 goals and 13 points in 38 playoff contests.

Pep continued playing senior hockey, first in Sudbury and then back home in North Bay. He extended his hockey days by seven years chasing senior hockey glory, which in the 1940s carried a much bigger status than it does today. Three times he helped his teams to the Allan Cup tournament, though never won it all.

After retiring Kelly got a real job, working with the Canadian Pacific Railway just like his father, first as a fireman then as an engineer. A train collision in 1952 seriously injured his hip, ending his athletic days forever - both on the ice and on the golf course. Undeterred, Kelly continued to stay in hockey, coaching senior and kids hockey in North Bay while also scouting for the Leafs.

Regis "Pep" Kelly died in North Bay in 1990.

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Carl Voss

Carl Voss was a well traveled hockey player, but he got his start as a Toronto Maple Leaf. In fact, he was the original Toronto Maple Leaf.

In 1926, Conn Smythe purchased the Toronto hockey club, then known as the St. Pats. Smythe immediately changed the team's name to the Maple Leafs. That same day Smythe, or more accurately Frank Selke, signed his first player, a 20-year-old centerman from Massachusetts named Carl Voss. For the sum of $1200 for the season, Voss became the first hockey player to become a Toronto Maple Leaf.

While that is a great trivia question, Voss, born in Chelsea, Massachusetts, is not known for being a Maple Leaf. In fact from 1926 until 1932 he would play only 14 games in a Leafs' uniform, otherwise spending his time in the minor leagues. He enjoyed his best minor league seasons in Buffalo with the IAHL's Bisons. His best season came in 1931-32 when he led that league in scoring with 41 points in 46 games.

That fine season earned Voss a second look at the NHL level. In 1932-33 he attended the New York Rangers training camp and made the team. Despite scoring 2 goals and 3 points, Voss was sold to the Detroit Red Wings after only 10 games. Carl finished the season with 20 points in 38 games. That was good enough to make Carl Voss the first winner of the Calder Trophy as the NHL's rookie of the year.

Over the next two seasons Voss played in 36 games with the Wings before being traded to Ottawa. He played in only 40 games in Ottawa before the whole franchise moved to St. Louis in 1934, where he played a full 48 games. That season proved to be his best as he scored 13 goals and 31 points.

The St. Louis franchise folded after just one season and Voss was picked up by the New York Americans. He played there but struggled in 1935-36 before he joined the Montreal Maroons in 1936-37. He started the 1937-38 season in Montreal but ended it with the Chicago Black Hawks. That was a great move for Voss as the Hawks won the Stanley Cup that season. Voss chipped in with 3 goals and 5 point in 10 playoff games. His last goal was the Stanley Cup winner!

That goal proved to be his last in the NHL as he retired from active play after the playoffs. But hockey remained a huge part of his life. By 1950, Carl was named the NHL's first Referee-in-Chief. He did a thankless job of monitoring referee performance and development, and helped the NHL evolve into its glory years.

For his work in this field, Voss was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1974.

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