Prince Harry takes part in NHL game, dropping ceremonial puck

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle observed the Vancouver Canucks' triumph over the San Jose Sharks at Rogers Arena on Monday. Adding to the excitement, the Duke of Sussex had the honor of dropping the ceremonial puck before the start of the game. He greeted the team captains, Quinn Hughes and Tomáš Hertl, with a friendly fist bump at center ice.

Hertl informed reporters that he had to instruct him to drop the puck as he was still gripping it and smiling. "I told him it's time to drop it. It was a memorable and enjoyable moment; I'll definitely remember it."

Prince Harry and Meghan are currently in Vancouver before the upcoming 2025 Invictus Games, scheduled to take place in British Columbia.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle watch the game from a VIP box in Rodgers Arena.

Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press/AP

The Invictus Games, founded by Prince Harry and first staged in 2014, is an international sporting event involving military personnel injured in service.

Previous editions have taken place in the UK, the US, Australia, the Netherlands, and Germany. Canada will be hosting it for the second time.

In Monday's game, the Canucks emerged victorious with a score of 3-1, bringing their season record to an impressive 13-5-1. The goals were scored by Hughes, Sam Lafferty, and J.T. Miller.

Hughes tallied an assist, bringing his season's points total to an impressive 30, making him the third defenseman in NHL history to achieve this milestone in under 20 games.

During a Canucks vs. Sharks game in 2002, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Harry's late grandmother, had the honor of dropping the ceremonial puck. This special occasion occurred during her visit to Canada in celebration of her Golden Jubilee.