L.A. Mayor Garcetti, Chicago Mayor Emanuel bet on hockey playoff

Is L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti developing a gambling habit?

After winning a bet with Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait earlier this month, when the Los Angeles Kings defeated the Ducks in seven games, Garcetti has made another wager, with yet another mayor.

This time, he’s betting Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel that the Kings will beat the Chicago Blackhawks in the National Hockey League’s Western Conference Finals that began over the weekend. The Blackhawks won the first game, and the second is tonight.

“After dining on the Ducks, the Kings are primed to feast on the Blackhawks,” Garcetti said in a press release issued Wednesday.

Last week, Garcetti announced the launch of Summer of Learning, a program to provide online and in-person classes to kids during the summer, that was modeled after a similar program in Chicago.

Putting to use the skills the kids are supposed to learn through the program, the youths of the losing city will build a civic landmark -- like the Hollywood Sign or Willis Tower -- using a 3-D printer that will be sent to the winning city.

“We’re excited to launch our Summer of Learning by schooling Chicago in Hockey 101,” Garcetti said.

If he loses, Garcetti is also going to hand over some Original Tommy’s chili, a copy of the film “End of Watch” (in which he had a minor role playing L.A.’s mayor), wine from San Antonio Winery, and copies of Raymond Chandler’s “The Big Sleep” and Roy Choi’s “L.A. Son: My Life, My City, My Food.”

Emanuel is betting some Chicago favorites himself, including a six pack from Chicago’s Half Acre Brewing Co.

“While the Kings are a good team, I am confident the Hawks will show them how real hockey royalty plays,” Emanuel said.

The winner of the Kings-Blackhawks series would make it to the Stanley Cup finals against either New York or Montreal. So could another mayoral bet soon be in the offing?