21 November 2023 , 22:54
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The Vancouver Canucks beat the San Jose Sharks 3-1 on Monday night in the National Hockey League (NHL) after Prince Harry dropped the puck at Rogers Centre with Meghan Markle watching on.
The Duke of Sussex took part in the ceremonial dropping of the puck as Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes faced off with Sharks centre Tomas Hertl, recreating a moment Queen Elizabeth II enjoyed 21 years before. The Queen dropped the puck on Oct. 6, 2002 when the same teams faced off, but this time it was the turn of the Prince.
Prince Harry was invited as a guest ahead of his Invictus Games, which he founded in 2014 and takes place in Vancouver and Whistler in 2025. Even though he was a guest of the Canucks, he may have been rooting for the Sharks based on an old photo shared by the team from San Jose.
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After dropping the puck at Rogers Centre, the official Sharks Twitter /X account tweeted a photo of Prince Harry as a young child alongside Prince William and Princess Diana. The trio were all in Sharks merchandise, with the caption: "Glad to see the family still supporting the #SJSharks after all these years."
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However, Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex were seen wildly celebrating all three Canucks goals, even though Meghan grew up in California. Either way, they appeared to enjoy their evening watching ice hockey, and with commitments coming up in British Columbia, it'll be a region they get more familiar with.
Prince Harry did face some embarrassment before dropping the puck though, as Sharks centre Hertl claimed he wouldn't let go of it. "I actually had to tell him [to drop the puck] because he kept holding [it] and smiling," Hertl said after the game.
The game later started, and it was another win for the Canucks who are flying in the NHL this season. The Canucks are second in the Pacific Division behind reigning Stanley Cup champions Vegas Golden Knights, with a 13-5-1 record.
The team from Vancouver managed just 38 wins last season from 82 regular season games, but are on course to win 56 games this year after a fast start. Things couldn't be going much worse for the Sharks, who have only won three games this season - the worst record in the NHL.
The Queen dropped the puck in 2001 when the same two teams faced offOf their 15 losses only one has gone to overtime, as they continue to be dominated in regulation time. The aftermath of trading defensive star Erik Karlsson has hit hard, with the Swedish player hitting 101 points last season.
The James Norris Memorial Trophy winner from 2022-23 moved to the Pittsburgh Penguins, who are 9-8-0 this season. The Sharks are currently scoring the least amount of goals across the NHL, and have allowed the most as their dismal start continues with no signs of any improvement.