YELLOWKNIFE — They weren’t quite the shots heard ’round the world, but Prince William did deke his way a little further into the hearts of Canadians on Tuesday when he picked up a stick and tried his hand at the street version of the country’s favourite pastime.
The man second in line to the throne took three shots in an organized shinny game with young people, but couldn’t dent the twine.
“I tried giving him one,” said goalie Calvin Lomen, 20, from Fort Liard, N.W.T. “He said, ‘Please let the ball go into the net.’ But it hit my stick instead and I wound up saving it.”
His wife, Kate, didn’t play, but she did drop the ball in a ceremonial faceoff.
William delighted the crowd of thousands earlier in the day when he said the North defines Canada.
“It’s great to be north of 60,” he said, referring to the line of latitude marking the southern boundary of the Northwest Territories.
“This place is what Canada is all about — vast, open beauty, tough, resilient, friendly peoples, true nature, true humanity,” the prince said as Yellowknife’s Frame Lake rippled in the background.
The crowd roared its approval as he concluded his remarks with “Mahsi cho” — thank you in Dene and the western Inuit language Inuvialuktun.
William and Kate watched with interest as the traditional sport of high kick was demonstrated. It involves a player jumping high into the air and kicking a ball on a rope well above head level.
But it was the shinny game that many had highlighted on their agendas.
William was given three clear shots. Lomen made two saves and the prince missed the net on the third.
“He looked like he knew what he was doing,” Lomen said. “I heard him say he doesn’t know how to play, but it seemed like he had a natural talent if he practised more.”
The royal couple was given red Canadian jerseys emblazoned with the Maple Leaf. Even though the crowd chanted “put it on,” the pair opted instead to just hold them up.
“He’s got a pretty good wrist shot for a guy who’s never taken one before,” said Clem Hand, who was pleased to see the Royals enjoying themselves.
“Getting amongst the people, seeing what Canada’s all about, playing a little bit of hockey. Good stuff.”
The appeal seemed widespread. One woman’s sign read: “I can still marry Harry,” a reference to William’s still-single brother. Her phone number was evident below. One little girl at the front was dressed in the red, white and blue of the British flag.
Adele Boucher, who drove 990 kilometres from Grimshaw, said it was worth the trip.
“It was excellent, to see such a nice turnout of people who support the monarchy. (William and Kate) are quite down-to-earth and following the trend of mingling with the people. They’re not afraid to get down into it.”
N.W.T. Premier Floyd Roland joked about the rainy weather that marred the couple’s arrival in the territory the day before. More rain was predicted for Tuesday, but the clouds parted and the sun shone brightly.
“We have made every effort to mark your visit today with a full representation of our territory’s finest,” Roland said. “We even called on some powerful people to change the weather for us from yesterday’s arrival.
“During your visit, I hope you will feel welcome enough not to just observe our territory, but to experience it and partake in all the adventure that it holds and, above all, to feel you are amongst friends.”
In the afternoon, the pair boarded a float plane to Blachford Lake, where they were greeted by federal Defence Minister Peter MacKay and Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq before being treated to a host of northern traditions.
They sat around a campfire with a group of Rangers — a largely aboriginal sub-reserve of the Canadian Forces — and listened to throat singers while sampling arctic char and bannock.
William, who had been made an honorary Ranger on a previous visit to Canada, was presented with a knife made especially for him by Yukon blade maker George Roberts, while Kate was given a bright red Ranger sweatshirt.
The royal couple toured Dechinta University, which combines traditional academics with hands-on indigenous learning and culture.
At the university, they watched as an elder cut up raw caribou on a bed of pine needles, then watched it get hung to dry under a smoker in a teepee.
The final event was a canoe ride out to an island on Blachford Lake. William was in the lead, with Kate paddling in the middle and their guide Francois Paulette guiding from the rear.
The newlyweds were even able to sneak in three hours of privacy on the island before heading back to the float plane which was to take them back to Yellowknife.