Queen's Men's Hockey heads downtown Kingston to Slush Puppie Place for a historic clash with the RMC Paladins in the annual Carr-Harris Classic. Dating back to 1886, the rivalry is one of the oldest and most storied in Canadian hockey, with the two Kingston institutions battling for the Carr-Harris Cup in a matchup that extends far beyond the ice. Steeped in tradition and city pride, the Classic consistently delivers a charged atmosphere, as Queen's and RMC renew a rivalry that has helped shape the history of the sport in Canada.

The Carr-Harris Classic opened with fast-paced, high-intensity play as Queen's struck first in the opening frame. Ante Zlomslic (Applied Science) put the Gaels on the board, finishing a setup from Liam Tanner (Kinesiology). RMC responded to even the score at 1–1, but Queen's quickly regained control. Ian Lemieux (Arts & Sciences) restored the Gaels' lead minutes later, converting a chance created by Dharan Cap (Applied Science), giving Queen's a 2–1 advantage heading into the first intermission. 

Queen's extended their lead in the second period with a momentum-shifting shorthanded goal from Nolan Hutcheson, who capitalized while the Gaels were killing a penalty to make it 3–1. Cameron Morton (Arts & Sciences) and Ian Lemieux (Arts & Sciences) recorded the assists, marking Lemieux's second point of the night. RMC responded late in the frame with a goal to narrow the deficit to one. The period was marked by heavy physical play and frequent special-teams action, setting the tone for a tightly contested rivalry matchup.

The Gaels held firm through a scoreless third period, defending with urgency as the pace and physicality continued to climb. With the clock winding down, RMC broke through, scoring with under three minutes remaining to knot the game and send a surge of energy through Slush Puppie Place, setting the stage for a dramatic finish.

Overtime needed just one rush. On Queen's first offensive-zone entry of the extra frame, Derek Hamilton (Arts & Sciences) finished off a two-on-one opportunity, snapping a shot from the right slot off a perfectly timed feed from Nolan Hutcheson (Health Studies). The decisive goal sent the building into a frenzy, sealing a thrilling overtime victory. 

When asked about his game-winning goal, Derek Hamilton laughed, "It was pretty crazy—went from my backhand to my forehand, closed my eyes, and just hoped it went in." Reflecting on the atmosphere in the arena, he added, "The energy in the building was incredible. The chants really got us going and gave us a boost out there."

Notably, Ian Lemieux (Arts & Sciences) was named the Carr-Harris Classic MVP, capping off a standout performance that included multiple points in the rivalry victory.

Queen's Men's Hockey hits the road next weekend for its final games of the regular season, with playoff positioning on the line. The Gaels will open the weekend Friday night in Oshawa, taking on the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks at 7:00 p.m., before travelling to North Bay to face the Nipissing Lakers on Saturday afternoon at 4:00 p.m.