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DETROIT -- While going to a Tigers game in June has its own set of benefits, Saturday's home game in Detroit went above and beyond mainly because of the establishment former Blackhawks defender Chris Chelios owns.

Cheli's Chili Bar sits beside Comerica Park, and on Saturday it was host to the Stanley Cup. Chelios, Nicklas Lindstrom, Kris Draper and company did there best to give the good people of Detroit a chance to embrace the most unique trophy in all of sports over and over again inside and outside Cheli's.

This reporter took advantage.

This is what the suburban kids of Chicago are missing out on because of the Blackhawks and their no-championship since 1961 ways. The lucky ducks are clearly on the other side of Lake Michigan, specifically the kids at Hillside Middle School who are classmates of the kiddos ofRed Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom.

A friend of The Heat Index's bookie, who teaches in Northville passed along this note.

Here's a great example of what "show and tell" is like in Northville
Public Schools:

Two of Nick Lidstrom's sons are students at Hillside Middle School.
Yesterday, they brought in to school THE Stanley Cup to show everyone
there.

By D.J. Wanberg

Whether it's a large group or not, there are those of us who love this time of year for a very special reason. It's time for the Stanley Cup playoffs. Play starts on Wednesday.

The Hockey News' big playoff preview came in the mail on Monday and as I read it I thought about who will be hoisting Lord Stanley's trophy at the end of August (Just kidding. But sometimes it seems the postseason will never end, even for hockey fanatics.).

My prediction is the hardware will stay in California. It will just travel north. I believe the San Jose Sharks will prevail. Joe Thornton has boosted that franchise since his trade from Boston like no player could before him on this Bay Area team.

Goalie Evgeni Nabokov has the third-best goals-against average in the NHL and the Sharks now seem to have the physical presence that they'll need in the playoffs and which was lacking in the previous postseasons.

Who do you think will win hockey's biggest event?