Wayne Gretzky gives the Queen instruction on how to drop the puck during ceremonial face off at GM Place in Vancouver Sunday. Photo: Chuck Stoody/CP

Vancouver — The Queen thrilled thousands of NHL fans Sunday night at GM Place and countless others watching on TV when she walked to centre ice and made royal history by dropping a ceremonial puck between the captains of the Vancouver Canucks and San Jose Sharks.

Backgrounder: Royal Visit 2002

As spectators at the packed preseason game cheered wildly with approval and appreciation, the Queen entered the ice surface from one end of the arena and walked along a red carpet to centre ice.

She was accompanied by Wayne Gretzky, now retired but widely regarded as the monarch of hockey, along with Canucks defenceman Ed Jovanovski, former hockey great Howie Meeker and Cassie Campbell, the captain of the Canadian women's Olympic gold medal team.

The Queen seemed to enjoy the moment as she made her way to the faceoff spot, smiling at the minor hockey players lining each side of the carpet and acknowledging fans witnessing an event most imagined they would never have thought possible — a British monarch paying tribute to Canada's favourite sport with such a tangible gesture.

Since the 76-year-old Queen first agreed to drop the puck, anticipation of the event seemed to overtake everything else on the carefully planned tour — because it's so stunningly offbeat for the Queen to immerse herself in this manner in another country's passionate pastime.

Her involvement becomes even more meaningful to hockey fans when it's realized it's been more than five decades since she last saw an NHL game.

In 1951, while she was still a 25-year-old princess, Elizabeth watched one period of play between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Chicago Blackhawks. Later the same day in Montreal the royal couple watched another game between the Canadiens and New York Rangers.

After she dropped the puck and God Save the Queen was played, Elizabeth left the ice and was expected to watch the first period in the royal box with the Duke of Edinburgh.

British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell told the Queen earlier in the day he believed the puck drop would inspire Vancouver's NHL team to future glory.

"I have no doubt Your Majesty that will inspire our Canucks to win their first ever Stanley Cup," said Mr. Campbell in his official welcome speech to the Queen, who was visiting the B.C. Legislature in Victoria with her husband for a celebration ceremony.

The Queen appeared in good spirits throughout her Victoria visit, smiling broadly during her visits with the public.

The couple walked the legislature grounds and visited with a few of the 15,000 people who came out to greet her.

As the Queen departed Victoria, the Canadian Forces Snowbirds aerial acrobatic team flew past.

The Queen had begun the day at Victoria's historic downtown Christ Church Cathedral, where her husband read aloud from the Bible as part of the service.

The royal couple, who arrived Friday in Iqaluit, the capital of Canada's newest territory, Nunavut, are on a 12-day tour of Canada to celebrate the monarch's Golden Jubilee.