Metallica love their California sports teams and the sports teams love them right back. On Wednesday night in San Jose, the NHL's San Jose Sharks hosted their first ever 'Metallica Night,' following in the footsteps of MLB's San Francisco Giants.

The Bay Area rockers have long shown their support for the local teams and hopped on board with support for the San Jose Sharks when the franchise started just over two decades ago.

"This is an honor to be able to keep it local," said frontman James Hetfield in a statement prior to the game. "We love that. The fact that we're considered a mainstay of this area and obviously the Sharks are as well. You join it together, it makes sense."

The Sharks have long used Metallica's 'Seek and Destroy' as their entry theme as they take the ice at home games. Bassist Robert Trujillo said in a press conference prior to the game, "It's an incredible honor. The fact that that song has the kind of energy to fuel an entire team, give them the strength to battle and kick butt."

The Sharks squared off against the rival Los Angeles Kings and the band members were part of the opening puck drop. They also were presented with custom made Metallica-Sharks jerseys and took part in other festivities throughout the night.

Sharks all-star defenseman Brent Burns added, "It's pretty cool. Being around in California, you get to see some pretty cool fans. Obviously that's a band a lot of guys have listened to growing up. It's pretty cool."

Watch a KTVU News Report on 'Metallica Night'

See Metallica's Introduction to 'Metallica Night'

Metallica's James Hetfield and Robert Trujillo Discuss 'Metallica Night'

Metallica's James Hetfield Discusses Meeting the Players

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