Governors place friendly wager on Cup Final

For Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick and Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, there will be a little more than bragging rights on the line when the Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins drop the puck Wednesday for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final (8 p.m. ET; NBC, CBC, RDS).

In a show of friendly competition, the governors placed a well-intentioned wager on the outcome of the series. Under terms of the bet, the losing team's state governor will spend a day volunteering at a food bank of the winning governor's choice. If the Bruins win, Quinn will work at the Greater Boston Food Bank. If the Blackhawks win, Patrick will volunteer at the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

"Gov. Patrick is skating on thin ice by betting against the mighty Chicago Blackhawks," Quinn said in a statement. "But the Greater Chicago Food Depository can always use extra help, so after he works a shift there, I'm happy to take Gov. Patrick to the United Center to see the Stanley Cup return home."

Not to be outdone, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced a wager of their own. If Chicago wins, Menino has agreed to send a package to his Chicago adversary that will include a selection of Boston foods, tickets to a show, and access to the City of Boston's website to post a Chicago-centric video. Should the Bruins win, Emanuel has offered a similar package that includes area delicacies, show tickets, and a Blackhawks jersey. Each official has agreed to plant a tree in the schoolyard of the winning mayor's choice.

It's not the first time in the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs that Emanuel has engaged in a friendly wager over the Blackhawks. During the Western Conference Final, Emanuel won a similar wager with his Los Angeles counterpart, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. When the Blackhawks defeated the Los Angeles Kings in five games to advance to the Cup Final, Emanuel collected winnings that included nine No. 19 pastrami sandwiches from Los Angeles landmark Philippe the Original, one case of Morehouse Mustard, a case of beer from the Golden Road and Eagle Rock breweries, and three Hollenbeck 5-pound burritos from El Tepeyac Café. The Chicago mayor also won 12 bottles of Sriracha chili sauce in the wager, which he has offered as a "regift" to Menino should Boston win the Cup.