Stanley Cup Foes Unite With $100,000 Bet Between Owners To Be Donated To Veterans Organization

Their teams are about to go toe-to-toe for the right to lift the most iconic trophy in sports, but that won't stop the Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers owners from doing some good for veterans.

Golden Knights owner Bill Foley and Panthers owner Vincent Viola announced a plan for a friendly bet that will see $100,000 going to a veterans organization.

This will come after the Stanley Cup Final, with the winning team's owner selecting the charity the losing team's owner will donate to.

Both Foley and Viola are veterans and United States Military Academy at West Point graduates. Foley earned an engineering degree there in 1967. He then went on to serve in the Air Force and attained the rank of captain. In 2016 the Golden Knights owner was given the Distinguished Graduate Award.

Meanwhile, Viola received a bachelor's degree from West Point in 1977. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Airborne, Air Assault, Infantry, and Ranger Schools. After that Viola, went on to serve as an infantry officer in the 101st Airborne Division.

If the Golden Knights win the Cup, VIola and the Panthers will donate to The Folded Flag Foundation. If Viola's Panthers win the Cup, Foley and his team will donate to Gold Star Teen Adventures.

This is an awesome idea, and definitely better than betting a case of beer.

Both men are proud veterans and wear their service on their sleeves, as well as their teams' sweaters. The Golden Knights share a nickname with the United States Army Parachute team and share a color palette with West Point. The Panthers, meanwhile, where several patches on their sleeves that are meant to look like something seen on armed forces uniforms.

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