The Battle of Alberta has officially started with a friendly hockey wager between the city councils in Calgary and Edmonton, and some elite Canadian soccer players with ties to both cities have also made bets.

The Calgary Flames play the Edmonton Oilers in the NHLB次元官网网址檚 Western Conference semifinal in their first post-season matchup since 1991. The best-of-seven series begins Wednesday in Calgary.

Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek said every council member in the losing city is expected to wear the winning teamB次元官网网址檚 jerseys at the first meeting after the series finishes.

B次元官网网址淲hat we also agreed to, though, is the losing team, at the first council meeting following the end of the series, the mayor will be in full face paint celebrating the opposing team,B次元官网网址� she said at a news conference Monday.

B次元官网网址淚 am confident that I will not be donning orange and blue paint at the June 7 council meeting and I am very much looking forward to seeing Mayor (Amarjeet) Sohi wearing the Flames C on his face.B次元官网网址�

Sohi, who was travelling Monday, said in an emailed statement that the Alberta matchup is a dream come true for hockey fans.

B次元官网网址淣ot only does it give us something to look forward to, but it will help our provinceB次元官网网址檚 economic rebound,B次元官网网址� he said.

The playoff Battle of Alberta also prompted a friendly wager between Canadian soccer players Alphonso Davies and Sam Adekugbe.

what you wanna bet beat the !? 馃し馃徔B次元官网网址嶁檪锔忦煈�

B次元官网网址� Sam Adekugbe (@SamAdekugbe)

Adekugbe, who grew up in Calgary and now plays in Turkey for Hatayspor, reached out to Davies, a Bayern Munich star who grew up in Edmonton, on social media for the bet.

B次元官网网址淲hat you wanna bet @NHLFlames beat the @EdmontonOilers?B次元官网网址� Adekugbe tweeted.

B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 not gonna happen but letB次元官网网址檚 do it,B次元官网网址� Davies replied.

The bet is loser has to donate $2,000 to the winning teamB次元官网网址檚 charity foundation and take a photo in their jersey.

B次元官网网址淚 like the sound of that,B次元官网网址� Davies said.

For the mayors, in addition to wearing the winning teamB次元官网网址檚 colours, Gondek said members of the losing city council would donate money out of their own pockets to organizations that help children with cancer. That donation is in recognition of Ben Stelter, an Edmonton boy who has brain cancer and has become known as a good-luck charm for the Oilers.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 fitting that the month of May is brain tumour awareness month,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淏en has been incredibly brave in this past year and all hockey fans are cheering him on.B次元官网网址�

The two organizations B次元官网网址� Kids with Cancer Society in Edmonton and Kids Cancer Care in Calgary B次元官网网址� give emotional, educational and financial support to families and children dealing with cancer.

B次元官网网址淏oth Edmonton city council and Calgary city council would like to amplify the great work of these two organizations throughout Alberta,B次元官网网址� said Gondek.

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Sohi, meanwhile, said he will be cheering for the Oilers every step of the way.

B次元官网网址淓dmonton is a hockey city and always has been,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚 B次元官网网址� will happily send Mayor Gondek well wishes when the Oilers beat the Flames and move forward in the playoffs.B次元官网网址�

Colette Derworiz, The Canadian Press

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