For the Queen’s men’s hockey team, their preseason opener was more than just a precursor for their regular season.
On Sept. 6, the Gaels took a trip to Gananoque to face off against the Royal Military College (RMC) Paladins in the Lou Jeffries Memorial Game. The Gaels’ rivalry with RMC is recognized as the longest in hockey, spanning over 138 years. However, the focus of the annual fundraiser finds its roots more recently in the work of Gaels Head Coach Brett Gibson.
A Gananoque native himself, Gibson organized the annual game in 2006 following the passing of Lou Jeffries, a pioneer and a community builder whose legacy is honoured through the arena that bears his name. Jeffries is largely recognized for his extensive work with the Gananoque Minor Hockey Association (GMHA), spanning over 50 years, as well as bringing Junior B hockey to Gananoque, where he served as the coach, general manager, and president for the team and the local hockey association.
On the ice, the Gaels fell to the Paladins by a score of 4-3. The outcome was surprising, given that the Gaels have dominated RMC with a 47-4 record since 2009, while the Paladins managed only a single win last season. Since the game was an exhibition, the loss won’t affect Queen’s historical record, but it raises questions as the roster prepares for the regular season.
The event comes with its benefits for the Gaels. The town of Gananoque has cemented itself as a community that rallies around the Gaels, proven by their annual support both as fans and financially of the Lou Jeffries Memorial Game. The town’s consistent support for the team laid the ground for the Lou Jeffries Memorial Scholarship, which is awarded to a first-year Gaels men’s hockey player who demonstrates prowess in the classroom and on the ice.
This year, the scholarship went to first-year defenseman Thomas Sirman, ArtSci ‘29. Sirman is coming off a successful major junior career in which he played over 200 games between the Ottawa 67’s of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and the Charlottetown Islanders of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Academic success isn’t new for the freshman, who was once honoured as the OHL’s top academic post-secondary player, receiving the Roger Neilson Award in 2024.
Sirman is the third of his family to don the Tricolour. His father, the late Graham Sirman, ArtSci ’87, competed as a Gael in the inaugural Carr-Harris Cup—the challenge game that was created in ‘86 to recognize the historic rivalry between Queen’s and RMC. His older brother, William Sirman, ArtSci ’23, spent four years on the Gaels men’s team, completing his bachelor’s degree at Queen’s before pursuing a degree in Law at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU).
Queen’s will open its 2025-26 regular season on Oct. 3, when it faces off against the Carleton University Ravens at 7:30 p.m. at Kingston Memorial Centre.
Tags
brett gibson, lou jeffries, Men's hockey, royal military college paladins, Thomas Sirman
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