THUNDER BAY -- Mayor Keith Hobbs is a diehard Boston Bruins fan.
He owns an autographed Stan Jonathan hockey card lining a shelf in his office, a autographed picture of Bobby Orr and a Bruins logo tattooed on his bicep.
Yet Tuesday, as he strolled into City Hall to greet the work week, Thunder Bay’s mayor sported an airbrushed Montreal Canadiens logo on the side of his hairless head.
Hobbs, who last year had to grin-and-bear it, raising a Chicago Blackhawks flag in front of the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, after Patrick Sharp led the Hawks past Boston in the Stanley Cup final, was making good on a bet made with CKPR morning-show man Danny Foresta.
Foresta, an equally fervent (and equally bald) Montreal fan, challenged Hobbs during the second round of the playoffs, when the Bruins and Habs squared off against each other.
Had Boston prevailed, Foresta would be sporting the Bruins logo on his dome.
But the Bruins, the top-ranked team heading into the NHL playoffs, fell in seven games.
On Tuesday, Hobbs paid up.
“It’s a sad day,” Hobbs said. “I never thought in a million years after the season the Bruins had that I’d be standing here with this tattoo on me.”
But a bets a bet, the mayor added.
“It’s burning right now, it’s burning into my skin, but a bets is a bet and you have to keep your word,” said Hobbs, who said his Bruins simply got outskated by the Canadiens.
“I think Chara was tired. He looked really tired. And the goaltender (Carey) Price just stood on his head. (Tuukka) Rask was just adequate.”
Foresta said it was all in good fun.
“It was very exciting,” the bubbly disc jockey said.
“He was such a great sport about it. It actually looked really, really good. That wonderful logo is perfect. I love it.”
Foresta admitted he was nervous when the Bruins took a 3-2 series lead.
Tattoo artist Robert Bates of R Star Designs and Dekor, said the hour-long process was actually an easy job.
“It was a great canvas to work on,” he said.
Hobbs added he hopes the temporary tattoo turns Montreal’s fortunes around in the Eastern Conference final. The Canadiens trail Thunder Bay’s Marc Staal and the New York Rangers 2-0.
The story got social media traction on Tuesday, and was even picked up by The Bleacher Report.
