West Point vs. RMC: A 'gentlemen's rivalry' no more

The annual match between the Royal Military College and West Point is the oldest international hockey competition in the world – and remarkably for the first two decades not a penalty was called in the “gentlemanly rivalry.”  

Clearly, those days are gone.

At Slush Puppie Place in February 2025, the showdown between the two teams was straight out of a 90s Rock ‘em, Sock ‘em video by Don Cherry. Less than four minutes into the game, a fight broke out and the officials handed out 38 minutes in penalties on that incident alone.

The raucous crowd of cadets from both schools cheered as the two players battled it out. Eventually, the referees seized control of the game, but it continued to be rough and tumble. West Point jumped out to a 3-0 lead. RMC came back with two goals, but could not find the equalizer.

As the United States has grown as a hockey power, the series has become tilted in West Point’s favour. In the 86 years that the game has been played, RMC has won just 30. West Point has captured 49 titles and there have been seven ties.

The last RMC win was in 2020, which saw the Kingston-based team break a 2-2 tie with a thrilling overtime goal. Following that game, the series was interrupted by the Covid pandemic, before getting back on track last year.

It all started in 1923 as a friendly rivalry. However, as the teams became more eager to win, the no penalties rule ceased to be realistic. The referees could only deliver verbal warnings as the players pummelled each other.

The “gentlemanly rivalry” idea finally came to an end in 1954, due the behaviour of a West Point player identified only by the single name Chester. Chester was huge – and rumour had it that he was actually a football player. The evidence: He could barely skate. But he could definitely throw his weight around and did. In response, the much smaller RMC players fought back and the game quickly got out of hand.

Finally, at the end of the second period the referee threatened to call the game unless the players stuck to hockey. Officials from both schools agreed and in the third period the referee called the first penalty – which brought focus to the match. West Point won 5-3 and the idea of a penalty-free gentlemanly rivalry was dead forever.

Last month’s match at the Slush Puppie rink also marked the end of an era as legendary West Point coach Brian Riley is retiring at the end of the season. With his brother and father both previously serving as head coach, next year will be the first time in 75 years that a Riley will not be the bench boss.

In 1924, Kingston’s Ray Marchand was hired to coach the Black Knights. While born in Philadelphia, he lived in Kingston and had previously tended goal for the Toronto Blueshirts and the Montreal Canadiens. Marchand coached the West Point squad for two decades.

Jack Riley took the reins at Army in 1950. One of his singular achievements was coaching the 1960 Olympic gold medal-winning American squad.

“As a kid growing up, I never understood why my Dad stayed at West Point and didn’t pursue other coaching opportunities,” Brian Riley told the Original Hockey Hall of Fame in an interview moments before this year’s game.

However, after taking on the job himself, Brian Riley realized that his father was attracted to the storied history of the institution and the chance to shape the future military leaders of the United States. “Now, I know why he remained at West Point for his entire career,” he said.

West Point is not the only team with legendary coaches. Born in Medicine Hat in 1921, Danny McLeod took part in the Normandy invasion and the liberation of Belgium and Holland. The major was awarded the Military Cross for his part in a 1945 fight that saw four Nazi tanks destroyed. After the war, he became RMC’s first athletic director and served as the NHL’s supervisor of officials.

This was an era of warm relations between the American and Canadian teams. Recalls Brian Riley: “When RMC traveled to West Point to play, Danny McLeod would stay at our house and have dinner with us. As a kid growing up and watching the games, I never imagined I would get to be a part of it as a coach.”

For several years the intense competition boiled over. From 2007 to 2010, no games were played as the two schools feuded. It finally resumed the following year, which saw Army trounce RMC by a score of 9-1. 

“There was a loss of respect between the two teams and that created a bitter, nasty rivalry,” recalls Riley. “It wasn’t fun coaching.”

While Riley acknowledges that the challenge went off the rails, he believes it’s back on track.  

“Any time you have the United States and Canada playing hockey against each other you’re going to have intensity,” Riley argues.

“Now there’s respect between the two teams,” he says. “There’s still fierce competition on the ice but they understand that they are ultimately on the same team. Years down the road, players from both teams could be standing shoulder to shoulder fighting in some foreign place.”

RMC coach Richard Lim is an ex-cadet and Paladins player, although he missed playing West Point because the series was on hiatus when he attended the school.

“It’s a surreal experience to be coaching such a historic game,” Lim says. “It really is humbling.”

This year, Lim has been going through his own set of incredible experiences. He was one of the coaches for the Canadian team that captured a gold medal at the World University Games in Italy. And just a couple of days before the West Point game, he celebrated the birth of his first child.

Lim plans to continue as coach at RMC, helping to develop Canada’s future leaders. “It’s a dream job and it’s something that I believe in.”