When the South Carolina Stingrays take on the Alaska Aces in the East Coast Hockey League’s Kelly Cup finals, there will be more than a title on the line.

For the state’s two governors, it will be the first in a number of potential battles.

That’s because Govs. Mark Sanford and Sarah Palin, both rumored to be presidential candidates in 2012, have placed a friendly wager on the series’ outcome.

If the Stingrays win, Palin will send some Alaska king salmon to the Palmetto State. If the Aces come out on top, Sanford will be sending the former vice presidential nominee shrimp and grits and she-crab soup from Tristan Restaurant in Charleston.

Of course, I’m guessing nobody informed Sanford that all forms of gambling are illegal in South Carolina — something that he, through his spokesman, seems to support.

I’m also guessing the folks at the ECHL forgot to check the map when they added Alaska to their league. Unless you’re in Russia, Alaska isn’t exactly the “east coast.”

The puck drops on the first game of the best-of-seven series Friday night at 11:05 p.m. ET in Anchorage, Alaska.

Photo: Anchorage Daily News