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Prime Minister Stephen Harper did not bet a case of beer on Monday’s World Juniors gold medal game — ignoring a long-standing tradition that has seen him place a friendly wager with the leader of the opposing nation in high-profile hockey tilts.

But continuing that tradition for Monday’s much-anticipated final between Canada and Russia would have forced him to engage with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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“I would refer you to our very public comments on Russia’s aggression in Ukraine,” PMO spokesman Carl Vallée said Monday ahead of the game in Toronto.

Mr. Harper, a staunch hockey fan and who has published a lengthy book on the subject, has frequently bet cases of beer with his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama. But given his icy relationship with President Putin as of late, it was unlikely that Mr. Harper would branch out.

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When the two leaders met at November’s G20 summit in Australia, the Prime Minister was said to have accepted Mr. Putin’s extended hand, saying “I’ll shake your hand, but I only have one thing to say to you: Get out of Ukraine.”