The Kelley-Harkness Cup will be up for grabs for the 10th time this fall as Red Hot Hockey returns to Madison Square Garden on Saturday, Nov. 29.
Puck drop for this year’s game is set for 8 p.m. EST. Tickets for Red Hot Hockey will be available starting June 4 at noon and can be purchased at bigredtix.com.
Fans can also purchase tickets for the Boston University or Cornell fan sections. Student tickets will be available at a discounted price at the Agganis Arena box office (Boston University) and the Cornell athletic ticket office in Bartels Hall.
“Experiencing playing at MSG for the first time since 2009 was better than I remembered,” said Casey Jones, who will be entering his first season as the head coach of Cornell, in a statement. “What this game has come to mean to our program and our alumni is incredible. The Lynah faithful are the best fans in college hockey and you can see how athletics can connect our alumni to our university. This year with BU, it should be another great battle in ‘The World’s Most Famous Arena.’”
“We’re excited to return to Madison Square Garden in November,” added Jay Pandolfo, Boston University’s fourth-year head coach. “It’s an incredible opportunity to not only play for a trophy on such a big stage but to face off against one of the top programs in the country. This rivalry brings out the best in both teams, as evidenced by all the one-goal games we’ve played over the past three seasons. The atmosphere is always electric and we expect another fantastic crowd at MSG.”
More than half of the previous Red Hot Hockey games have taken place before sold-out crowds at Madison Square Garden. The inaugural event, attended by 18,200 students, alumni, parents, and fans, was a resounding success. Held on Nov. 24, 2007, it featured members of the 1980 gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic hockey team, including Mike Eruzione, Jack O’Callahan, and David Silk from Boston University, along with Joe Nieuwendyk, a member of the Cornell Athletics and Hockey Hall of Fames.
After Boston University went undefeated in the first five Red Hot Hockey meetings (3-0-2), Cornell has won the last four meetings, including a 2-1 victory in 2023, where the Big Red scored two goals in the third period. The Terriers won in 2007, 2011, and 2013, while the rivals skated to ties in 2009 and 2015.
The Kelley-Harkness Cup, which honors legendary coaches Jack Kelley (BU) and Ned Harkness (Cornell), was introduced 10 years ago.
The rivalry between Boston University and Cornell began on Jan. 10, 1925, when the Terriers secured a 7-2 victory on Beebe Lake in Ithaca, N.Y., and includes matchups in the NCAA title games in 1967 and 1972. Since the Terriers departed from ECAC Hockey to join Hockey East in the 1984-85 season, the two schools have met sporadically before the first Red Hot Hockey event.
Madison Square Garden, home to the NHL’s New York Rangers and NBA’s New York Knicks, has served as the venue for this showcase since its inception.
Boston University and Cornell are the only two schools in Division I men’s hockey to win at least one NCAA tournament game in each of the last three years, with the Terriers making it to the Frozen Four each time. The Terriers defeated the Big Red in an NCAA regional final twice over the past three seasons, including a 3-2 overtime victory in Toledo, Ohio, this past March on their way to the national title game. Each of the last 12 meetings between the Big Red and the Terriers has been decided by two goals or fewer, including four consecutive one-goal games.
Both schools are perennial powerhouses in college hockey, combining for 355 victories and a .650 winning percentage over the past decade. Boston University has won the national championship five times (1971, 1972, 1978, 1995, and 2009), while Cornell has claimed the title twice (1967 and 1970). Together, these two schools have produced over 100 NHL players, including prominent names such as New York Rangers president Chris Drury, new Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan, Jack Eichel, and Macklin Celebrini (BU), along with Ken Dryden, Joe Nieuwendyk, and current NHL players Morgan Barron and Sam Malinski (Cornell).
