Steaks, barbecue and shared blessings at play in bishops’ Stanley Cup wager

(OSV News) — As the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes meet in the Stanley Cup Final, two Catholic bishops are taking part in a friendly wager featuring regional foods tied to their dioceses.

The matchup carries added significance for fans in both markets.

The Carolina Hurricanes are making their third Stanley Cup Final appearance and won the championship in 2006. The Vegas Golden Knights, meanwhile, have experienced rapid success since joining the NHL in 2017-2018 season, reaching the final for the third time in franchise history and capturing the Stanley Cup in 2023.

The best-of-seven series began with a 5-4 Las Vegas victory June 2, with Game Two scheduled for June 4. The scene then shifts to Las Vegas for Game 3 June 6.

Archbishop George Leo Thomas of Las Vegas is supporting the Golden Knights in the series and offering a Las Vegas dining prize if the team wins.

“Las Vegas never folds under pressure,” Archbishop Thomas said in a statement. “And when it comes to the Golden Knights, we are all in. In Las Vegas, we know a little something about good steaks and high stakes!”

He said the wager again includes a signature local dining package.

“We are once again wagering two Mafioso steak packages from the Golden Steer,” he said. “Of course, we are praying they remain right here in Las Vegas, because the only thing better than a good steak is a Golden Knights victory.”

The Golden Steer Steakhouse is a longtime Las Vegas restaurant, and its steak package has been part of previous friendly wagers involving the archbishop during major sporting events.

On the opposing side, Bishop Luis R. Zarama of Raleigh, North Carolina, is supporting the Carolina Hurricanes and offering a North Carolina culinary package in return.

Bishop Zarama said in his own statement that the wager reflects diocesan pride and a spirit of goodwill between the two church leaders.

“While my brother Bishop is much more familiar with wagering than I am,” Bishop Zarama said, “it is my pleasure to share in this way the blessings of our respective dioceses as we root for our home teams. Good luck, God bless and Go Canes!”

The Raleigh-side wager includes traditional Carolina barbecue and pecan pie, both widely associated with the region’s culinary traditions.

In a lighter moment of local team pride, Stormy, the Carolina Hurricanes mascot, recently visited The Franciscan School in Raleigh, a K-8 institution. Stormy stopped by for morning prayer before revving the audience with Hurricane cheers.

The exchange comes as the Catholic Church reflects more broadly on the role of sports in community life. In the prayer intention video published by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network on June 2, Pope Leo XIV encouraged Catholics to pray that sports promote peace, fraternity and human growth.

The pope thanked God for “the gift of sport,” noting “the friendships born on the field, and the joy of playing as a team.” He also said that in life and sport “no one is saved alone,” emphasizing the importance of others in personal growth.

Pope Leo prayed that sport “may always be a school of fraternity, not of empty rivalry, a space of encounter, not exclusion, a path of peace, not violence.” He added that sport can serve as a universal language that unites people and fosters respect, solidarity, and personal development.

He also described sport as a “parable of life,” lived with effort, humility in defeat, and gratitude in victory.

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