LONDON — In a country virtually devoid of ice and snow, hockey is a game that simply doesn't register with British sporting tastes. But there's a certain novelty in the Queen dropping a puck before the start of a hockey game, and that has grabbed some British attention.

Two of Britain's biggest national newspapers published full accounts Tuesday of the Queen venturing out to centre ice on a red carpet at Vancouver's GM Place before Sunday night's exhibition game between the Canucks and San Jose Sharks.

"As Canada's head of state, the Queen is obliged to observe that country's established religion," began a story in the Times. "So they took her to an ice hockey game."

With an eight-hour time difference between London and Vancouver, the evening start to Sunday's game would have made it impossible for Monday newspaper deadlines, explaining why the stories appeared Tuesday.

The Times story included a description of what a typical game is all about - lots of fights and broken bones - and references to Canada's pride at winning the women's and men's gold medals at the Salt Lake City Olympics in February.

Because those victories came over the United States, they transcended mere sports for most Canadians, observed the respected newspaper.

"The win also cocked a satisfying snook at President (George W.) Bush, who has lowered his opinion of his northern neighbour since it pulled its cash-strapped armed forces out of a support role in Afghanistan after only six months," the Times reported.

The Daily Telegraph noted that the ceremonial face-off was added to the Queen's itinerary for her 12-day Golden Jubilee tour of Canada after royal officials were satisfied that the event "could be accomplished with 'dignity and grace.' "

There's no doubt it was a success - also getting coverage on the evening BBC and ITN newscasts Monday - and produced a picture of the Queen dropping a puck flanked by two hulking players that could be the most lasting image of her 20th visit to Canada.

"The Canadian media have been obsessed with the image of the 76-year-old constitutional monarch contributing to the notoriously violent business of 'a face-off,' " said the Telegraph.

"Battle-hardened referees are adept at skating backwards pretty sharpish to avoid 'the brutal, ugly exercise in violence' that ensues when the puck is dropped."

It then reassured its readers that, on this occasion, Canucks' captain Marcus Nasland and the Sharks' Mike Ricci avoided any bloodshed and the Queen made it through the experience unscathed in her "sparkling plum-coloured dress."

"This was, after all, a ceremonial gesture to show affinity with Canada. Actual blood would be drawn later as the game began for real."

The amount of blood lost in the average National Hockey League game was also a fixation in the Times, although it noted this exhibition game was a bit of a disappointment on that score.

"The real game began with a rather more properly ferocious face-off," says the paper. "But the old hands in the press box soon voted the game a tame and lucklustre encounter, totally lacking in spilt blood, broken limbs or fights. The royal presence, they concluded, was an inhibiting factor."