Alberta premier, 2-0 on hockey bets, pitches Stanley Cup bet with Florida governor

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on Friday, April 12, 2024. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby)

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.