Obama settles Olympic hockey bets with Canada’s leader

President Obama is settling his debts with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Harper and Obama wagered a case of beer on both the men’s and women’s Olympic hockey games between their respective countries last month.

Team Canada prevailed in both matches, dealing the men’s team a 1-0 defeat to reach the gold medal game and coming from behind in the championship game to edge the women 3-2.

On Friday, President Obama’s National Security Council tweeted that the beer was forthcoming.

The announcement came after Harper was asked about the wager during an interview with TSN 1050 Radio in Toronto.

“I haven’t received it yet, but in fairness to President Obama, he’s lost bets to me before, and he’s always paid up before,” Harper said.

“I’m sure he will (pay up),” he added.

Harper said that the last time Obama had lost a hockey bet, the bounty ended up going to the Hockey Hall of Fame.

“President Obama had signed it, so I thought: ‘Oh, geez, so I can’t really keep this now – it’s now got the signature of the president of the United States on it,’” Harper said. “So we shipped it to the Hockey Hall of Fame for their collection.”

It appears the White House is opting against a move suggested by some U.S. fans frustrated by the loses: shipping up a case of Keystone Light, in a nod to Canadian frustration over approval with the Keystone XL pipeline.

Tags Barack Obama Canada Keystone XL pipeline Olympic hockey Stephen Harper

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