St. Louis native Bob Harsh poses with a commemorative bottle after viewing the Stanley Cup on Monday, Sept. 23, 2019, in Calumet, Mich. The Detroit Red Wings and St. Louis Blues play a preseason game on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2019, in the Calumet Colosseum. The Colosseum is the world’s oldest indoor ice arena. (Eddie O’Neill/The Daily Mining Gazette)

CALUMET — Most fourth grade boys aren’t eager to volunteer their recent kissing escapades. Then again, most fourth grade boys don’t have an intimate run-in with the Stanley Cup on a Monday morning.

“I kissed the Cup,” proclaimed a smiling Carter Sturos, a fourth grader at Calumet Elementary School.

He wasn’t alone. The Stanley Cup was on display to touch, hug and get a photo at the school as Kraft Hockeyville USA kicked-off in grand fashion.

Each class had a chance to visit with the trophy in the school’s gym.

“I kissed it, too,” piped up Sturos’ friend, third grader Aaron Londo as the two walked around the opening ceremony held at the Calumet Green Space. “This whole event has been awesome.”

Monday’s event is just the start of a week’s worth of activities leading up to Thursday’s preseason game between the Red Wings and the Blues. On Thursday morning, school kids will have a chance to welcome the two teams as they step off the bus and onto the red carpet outside the Calumet Colosseum.

“I am really excited about getting to see them practice,” said sixth grader Maija Kerinen who is rooting for the Blues. “That will be so fun, and I can’t wait for the game.”

Among two of the hundreds of names included on the Stanley Cup are Drew Miller and Kirk Maltby.

The two Red Wing alumni were on hand signing autographs and welcoming the fans Monday afternoon. They will be honorary coaches tonight’s Great Lakes Hockey League game between the Calumet Wolverines and the Portage Lake Pioneers. The game starts at 8 p.m.

“I will be a lot of fun,” said Miller who played professional hockey for 12 years, eight of which

(2009-17) in Detroit. “I know it is a rivalry game but it should be fun.

This is what sports is all about,” Miller added. “This Hockeyville event has brought the community together and that’s so important. It is a great thing and is going to help this community immensely.”

Also cheering for the Blues was St. Louis native Bob Harsh. He was holding court at a round table with a golden bottle of champagne in front of him commemorating the Blues recent Stanley Cup victory, their first in franchise history.

Bob and his wife, Janet, had to be on hand because Bob claims that it was she who was responsible for winning Hockeyville back in April.

“She was the St. Louis ambassador. She contacted every one of her friends and told them to vote early and vote often,” said the 78-year old. “So when we found out that Calumet had won and won substantially, we knew we had to be here,” he said.

The couple are no strangers to the Upper Peninsula as this is a favorite vacation spot of theirs.

“We just travel and travel,” he said. “This is an exciting event. I really like the fact that it is for the kids. We will be here all week rooting for the Blues.”