Queen Elizabeth II: Former Canucks captain and head coach remember iconic 2002 royal puck drop

During Queen Elizabeth II’s last visit to British Columbia in 2002 for her Golden Jubilee, the monarch dropped the puck at centre ice for a pre-season game between the Vancouver Canucks and San Jose Sharks.

The event was a massive red carpet spectacle, with Wayne Gretzky escorting the Queen onto the ice at what was then GM Place, followed by several Canadian olympic gold-medal winning hockey players.

Reached at his home in Sweden, then-Canucks captain Marcus Naslund recalled the royal protocols the two teams had to follow.

“First of all we, were told we couldn’t skate directly towards her, so we had to turn,” said Naslund. “And then we were not allowed to talk to her unless she spoke to us.”

After Queen Elizabeth II dropped the puck, Naslund picked it up and gave it to her. “And she leaned in and said the last hockey game she attended was in Toronto sometime during the 1950s,” Naslund said. “So the whole ceremony with the red carpet and having Wayne Gretzky there and Cassie Campbell too, it was memorable.”

Mark Crawford was the Canucks coach at the time, and has fond memories of the puck drop as well.

“I really enjoyed her being there,” said Crawford. “Mike Ricci was a guy I had coached in Colorado, so he was taking the face off for the San Jose Sharks, and he had tucked in his hair. And Mike was very much, his signature was his hair. And he always had his teeth out. So he had his teeth in and his hair tucked in for the Queen, so that explains the significance of the moment.”

While Crawford didn’t get to interact directly with the Queen, his wife did.

“She was up in the private box where the Queen was seated for the game, and she got to meet her with Gordon Campbell who was the premier at the time and his wife, so that was a big highlight for her," he said.

And Crawford made sure to position himself so he would be included in photos of the historic puck drop.

“I shifted myself on the bench. Usually the coach is on the centre of the bench, and I got way over towards almost the other teams bench just so I could get in the picture. I wanted to have that momento,” said Crawford.

The former coach and the former captain were both saddened to hear of the Queen's passing Thursday morning.

“I think it’s a big deal all around the world. She has been a well-known figure globally for such a long time, so it’s a sad day,“ said Naslund.

Crawford said he feels for the people in Great Britain and the Commonwealth.

Obviously she is all we’ve ever known, most of us,“ he said. “I think we should all be grateful for her just being such a responsible and such a steady hand in guiding the British people and the commonwealth.”

Crawford is also grateful he got to be in her presence for such an iconic moment in Canucks history. “You know what, it will be a memory I do cherish for sure.”