Crustaceans, craft beers and large slices of humble pie are on the menu for the mayors of Vancouver and Boston as the city leaders revealed the final terms of their Stanley Cup playoff bet.
Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson and Boston Mayor Tom Menino detailed their own personal face-off just hours before the Canucks and Bruins take the ice for Game 1 of the final. The wager honours the longstanding tradition of making a friendly bet on who will take home the coveted prize, including at least a year of bragging rights.
The wager, which draws on suggestions sent to Robertson via email and Twitter, include swapping wild B.C. smoked salmon for fresh Boston lobster, a variety of locally crafted beers and a small donation from the losing mayor to a local charity of the winner's choosing.
But one of the most interesting suggestions sent to city hall didn't make the final contact. One user suggested that Mayor Menino wear a neon green body suit – similar to those worn by the Green Men – while raising the winning team's flag.
Roberton said he took the bet to Menino, but he refused.
"The fact that Mayor Menino has already refused part of the wager speaks volumes about his confidence in the Bruins," Robertson said.
"Let's be clear: The Bruins run ends here. It's been 40 years and Canucks fans have waited long enough to bring the Cup to Vancouver."
It isn't just the mayors who are enjoying a healthy dose of off-ice competition.
B.C. Premier Christy Clark has entered a bet with her counterpart, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, to send Nanaimo bars and salmon in the unlikely event that Boston wins.
The governor said he'll send Massachusetts clam chowder if the Canucks clinch the coveted Cup.
And in an unusual twist, the managers of coveted green space in Vancouver and Boston have a wager on who will win.
Boston and Vancouver don't just share a keen interest in hockey, their respective regions also share Stanley Parks.
The manager of each park has agreed to donate a park bench to the other if their team catches the Cup.
Vancouver's Stanley Park is more than three times the size of its Massachusetts counterpart, which is about 150 kilometres west of Boston.
In 2009, the city of Vancouver sent a sampling of local fish, chocolate and beer to Chicago after losing to the Blackhawks during the playoffs.