Biden and Trudeau bet on the Stanley Cup Final

[ad_1]

Relations between the United States and Canada are becoming more and more interesting.

President Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shook hands – almost, at least – on a bet on the outcome of the Stanley Cup Final between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Montreal Canadiens during the first game of their best-of-seven series on Monday.

Trudeau, a die-hard Montreal fan, reached out to the White House via Twitter, writing: “Two of the best teams in the NHL are facing off right now…how about a friendly bet, @POTUS?” (The prime minister also published the same letter in French, for the benefit of his followers in Quebec.)

Biden – or at least the official POTUS account – responded to Trudeau with a very “you’re on a friend” and tossed the hashtag “#GoBolts” as a good measure.

The terms of the betting were not immediately disclosed. It is believed to be the first time a president has bet on the outcome of a National Hockey League series of games.

Biden, a native of Delaware, is known to be involved in the bizarre Philadelphia Flyers game. But according to him, first lady Jill Biden is the real head of the couple.

“I was a fan of Flyers before, but then I married a Philly girl,” Biden told a Chicago fundraiser in 2010, when Flyers met the Chicago Blackhawks with the Lord Stanley Cup on the line. The then Vice President added, “I’m rooting too hard for pilots or sleeping alone. It’s not a difficult call. It is not a difficult call at all.”

It’s common for mayors in the two cities participating in the Cup Final to pin their hometown merchandise on the outcome of the series, although sometimes the bets can turn to the funny (Bill de Blasio sings “I Love LA” on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” in 2014, anyone?).

Last year, Tampa’s Mayor Jane Castor handcrafted beer, candy apples, and Texas breast hummus beat Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson when the Lightning beat the Superstars in six games to win the cup. (Castor sent a gift basket of Cuban bread, cigars, and, yes, handcrafted beer to Dallas anyway as a “sign of good sportsmanship.”)

However, Monday isn’t the first time a president and prime minister have bet on hockey. Barack Obama and then Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper bet in cases of beer on the outcome of the 2010 men’s Olympic gold medal match between the United States and Canada. Canada won in overtime, and Canada’s Molson case was duly presented to Harper and Yuengling’s case.

Obama and Harper repeated their bet four years later, focusing more foam on the outcome of the women’s gold medal match as well as the men’s semi-final match. Our neighbors to the North came out on top in both contests, and Harper received two more beers, this time brewed in the White House.

Biden’s bet got off to a better start, as fiercely favourite Lightning passed the Canadians 5-1 on Monday night. The second match of the series is on Wednesday.

.

[ad_2]