U.S. President Barack Obama isn't the biggest hockey fan in the world by his own admission, but that hasn't stopped him from wagering with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper over the outcome of the 2014 Winter Olympic games between the United States and Canada's men's and women's ice hockey teams in Sochi.
According to NHL.com, there are a couple of cases of beer riding on the outcomes of the women's ice hockey gold medal game and the men's ice hockey semifinal game pitting the United States against Canada.
The two games over national pride are now also about political pride as the U.S. president and Canadian prime minister have wagered a case of beer on the outcome of both the Thursday and Friday games.
Obama, a Chicago native, held up tradition by hosting the Stanley Cup-winning Chicago Blackhawks at the White House this year, and now will root on Chicago forward Patrick Kane and the other Americans in the semifinal game.
Each country leader took to Twitter to share their bet with the world:
.@pmharper and I bet on the women's and men's US-Canada hockey games. Winner gets a case of beer for each game. #GoTeamUSA! -bo
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 20, 2014
I'm betting @barackobama one case of Canadian beer per hockey game this week. #teamusa is good, but #WeAreWinter. #GoCanadaGo @WhiteHouse — Stephen Harper (@pmharper) February 20, 2014
The U.S. men's and women's teams each came into Sochi looking to avenge losses to Canada in gold medal games of the Vancouver Games in 2010. While the women's matchup will decide the gold, the winner of the Canada and U.S. men's game will only earn the right to get into the gold medal game to take on the winner of Sweden and Finland on Sunday.
With many of the eyes of the world already on Sochi, Obama and Harper will both likely be glued to the action when the United States and Canada go head-to-head for national and political pride, and a couple of cases of beer on Thursday and Friday.
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