Queen's Men's Hockey kicked off their pre-season slate of games on Saturday against their cross-town rival RMC Paladins in the annual Lou Jeffries Scholarship game in Gananoque, Ont. The Gaels dropped the game 4-3.

"The Lou Jeffries Scholarship Game means a lot to me personally as the community I grew up in is the one that fund this Scholarship," said Queen's Men's Hockey Head Coach Brett Gibson. "Every year, when I ask the local businesses for support, there is zero hesitation. The citizens of Gananoque have helped numerous Men's Hockey players at Queen's financially and have continued to remember an incredible human being in Lou."

Thomas Sirman (Arts & Science) was this year's recipient of the Lou Jeffries Scholarship. Sirman is in his first year with the Gaels after spending last season split between the Ottawa 67's of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and Charlottetown Islanders of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).

The annual event honours Jeffries, a strong supporter of hockey in Gananoque and the Queen's Gaels hockey program. Funds generated from the annual game go towards a scholarship.

Jeffries was a dedicated, community-driven volunteer for the town of Gananoque. He was recognized by his love of hockey and his involvement in the Gananoque Minor Hockey Association (GMHA). Jeffries assisted the GMHA for more than 50 years until his death at the age of 75. He is also known for his contribution in bringing Junior B Hockey to Gananoque in 1971. Over his lifetime, Jeffries worked in a number of different roles including Coach, General Manager, President and League Executive for the GMHA and Junior B Gananoque Islanders.

Queen's Men's Hockey open their 2025-26 OUA regular season on Friday, Oct. 3 at Memorial Centre against the Carleton Ravens.