They’ll be at least two North American spectators eagerly awaiting the results of the men’s and women’s hockey games between the United States and Canada this week – President Barack Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
The two politicians wagered a case of beer over the two matches during a trade summit in Toluca, Mexico on Thursday.
.@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
While Harper said he’d send his American counterpart a case of Canadian beer, Obama didn’t specify what he’d give the prime minister. Among the possible options is a case of the highly-coveted White House beer brewed in the kitchen of the executive mansion.
The women’s teams face off in the gold medal match Thursday in Sochi, while the men’s teams play to advance to the gold medal game on Friday. Canada beat the U.S. men’s team in overtime play during the championship match in Vancouver four years ago, to which Obama gave Harper a case of Molson Canadian beer. Canada’s women’s team, meanwhile, is looking to win its fourth straight gold during this year’s games.
Obama also shared that he has a soft spot for Canada, one which may need to be tempered if the matches get too heated.
“My brother-in-law is Canadian, so, you know, I have to like Canadians,” Obama quipped, as reported by The Hill. “Although I will note that I think we are going to have both the men’s hockey teams and the women’s hockey teams battling it out, so for a very brief period of time, I might not feel as warm towards Canadians as I normally do, at least until those matches are over.”
Harper joked back that he would “probably” continue to like his American relatives regardless.
