METALLICA Honored By SAN JOSE SHARKS At Special 'Metalli-Sharks' Night (Video)

San Francisco Bay Area-based metal giants METALLICA extended their sports partnerships by joining the San Jose Sharks last night (Wednesday, January 21) against current Stanley Cup holders the Los Angeles Kings for a night of "Metalli-hockey mayhem." The band travelled down to San Jose for a special "Metallica Night" with the NHL's San Jose Sharks as they took on their bitter rivals, the Los Angeles Kings.

The members of METALLICA were presented with custom-made METALLICA-Sharks jerseys and were scheduled to be involved in the opening puck drop and other events throughout the game.

The Sharks have been using METALLICA's 1983 song "Seek & Destroy" as their entrance music for a long time.

"Who would have thought back in 1982 when we wrote that song that that song would have that kind of mileage on it?" METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich asked. "And even to, obviously, be able to write a song and have your name associated with a piece of music that plays that kind of role in so many people's lives all over the world. And in this particular case, the fact that the Sharks [come] out through a giant shark mouth and the smoke and the fire and the music and the energy in the building and so on… it's obviously… it's one of your proudest moments. It's a very cool thing to be associated with."

"I still can't believe that they picked 'Seek & Destroy', which I love," laughed METALLICA frontman James Hetfield. "1983, what we were writing about then was just… That's all we knew. We're gonna show up, and we're gonna kick some ass. And when we leave here, you're gonna know we were here."

Hetfield continued: "I understand why it's been chosen. But when I hear my voice [on the original recording of the song]…. Oh my God! I was, like, 19 years old, and I think I've matured a little bit since then… maybe a little bit. But it's awesome. It sets a tone. The sound quality… not the best, but that's all we knew in '83. But I love the fact that someone has taken our song and is still using it like that. And it's synonymous with Sharks hitting the ice, coming out of the mouth, through the teeth, and then the smoke… Very awesome."

METALLICA recently revealed that the 2014 World Champion San Francisco Giants have invited the band back for the third annual "Metallica Night" at the Giants' hometown ballfield, AT&T Park. The band will be on hand all evening on Saturday, May 2 during the game between as the Giants and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and will participate in several events throughout the night, which will also feature special giveaways and souvenirs.