Alberta premier, 2-0 on hockey bets, pitches Stanley Cup bet with Florida governor
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is looking to extend her winning streak as the Edmonton Oilers prepare to face off against the Florida Panthers for the Stanley Cup.
Smith said she's taking suggestions for her third playoff hockey bet, this time with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
"I haven't figured out what my bet's going to be with Governor DeSantis yet, but we're working on one," Smith said Tuesday.
The governor's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the possible wager.
So far, the United Conservative Party premier is 2-for-2 on her playoff gambles with counterparts in British Columbia and Texas.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott agreed to eat and praise an Alberta rib steak on video if the Dallas Stars lost to the Oilers in the Western Conference Final. The Oilers dispatched the Stars on Sunday to clinch the berth in the final.
Smith ribbed Abbott on social media Tuesday, posting pictures of thick cuts of meat from a butcher in her hometown of High River.
"I have personally selected the finest Alberta beef," she said in the post.
"It is on its way now. Can't wait to see the video."
B.C. Premier David Eby made good on his losing wager Monday, two weeks after the Vancouver Canucks were ousted by the Oilers in the second round.
"What in the name of Luongo was I thinking?" Eby quipped in a video posted on social media, referring to well-known former Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo.
Eby, donning an Oilers sweater and delivering a statement prepared by Smith, praised Alberta's economic growth and said it's a perennial certainty Edmonton is blessed with the greatest players to ever play the game.
"We've heard all the excuses, but it does not change the sobering reality — when meeting head-to-head in the playoffs, the score is Edmonton 3, Vancouver 0," said Eby.
He also made it a teaching moment, telling kids at home that if you lose a fair bet, you should honour it.
"At least I learned a valuable lesson about sports betting: know your limit, play within it," he said, conceding that the Oilers are Canada's team now.
"Bring the Stanley Cup home to Canada."
Game 1 of the best-of-seven series against the Panthers goes Saturday in Sunrise, Fla.
The last time the Oilers won the Cup, the Panthers did not yet exist.
The Oilers, Canada’s last hockey dynasty, won four Cups in the 1980s followed by a fifth in 1990.
Their last trip to the final was in 2006, when they lost in seven games to the Carolina Hurricanes.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 4, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Biden and Harris call the Israeli strike killing Hezbollah’s Nasrallah a 'measure of justice'
The Israeli strike that killed Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah was a 'measure of justice' for victims of a four-decade 'reign of terror,' U.S. President Joe Biden said Saturday.
SpaceX launches rescue mission for 2 NASA astronauts who are stuck in space until next year
SpaceX launched a rescue mission for the two stuck astronauts at the International Space Station on Saturday, sending up a downsized crew to bring them home but not until next year.
LGBTQ2S+ minister Pascale St-Onge to make history with parental leave
Canadian Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge is set to make history by becoming the first openly lesbian cabinet minister to take parental leave when her wife gives birth in the coming weeks.
At least 52 dead and millions without power after Helene's deadly march across southeastern U.S.
Hurricane Helene caused at least 52 deaths and billions of dollars of destruction across a wide swath of the southeastern U.S. as it raced through, and more than three million customers went into the weekend without any power and for some a continued threat of floods.
Why Will Ferrell wanted a doc about his friendship with a trans woman to release before the U.S. election
Will Ferrell said in an interview with Variety that it was important for him to release his documentary, 'Will and Harper,' before the U.S. election so people could have conversations about trans people.
They hit it off on vacation but then he went silent. So she decided to pick up the phone
When a few weeks passed and Nana Prempeh still hadn’t heard from the guy she met on vacation, she turned to her friends for advice.
What is open and closed this National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
This Monday, Sept. 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (NDTR), a federal statutory holiday and day of remembrance for the Indigenous children who never came home from Canadian residential schools, as well as those who survived them.
Sima Sistani, who embraced Ozempic, is out as CEO of WeightWatchers
WeightWatchers CEO Sima Sistani, who pushed the company into embracing weight-loss drugs, is leaving the position after a two-and-a-half year stint.
Scientists discover hidden ancient forest on treeless island
Trees haven't grown on the Falkland Islands for thousands of years. But tree trunks and branches preserved in peat suggest the islands were once home to a forest.