Quest for the (living room) cup.

• Position: WHAT'S NEW?

La Coupe Stanley is the oldest professional team trophy in North American sports history. Yes, we know, winter is long gone, but the favorite sport of Canada (and of many parts of good old America) simply goes on and on--get used to it folks; the quest for Lord Stanley's coveted chalice does not wrap up until around Flag Day in mid June. We figured that as long as there is hockey fever here, there, and everywhere, we might as well get in on the action. No, we didn't get Stanley Cup playoff tickets. (Even if we could have gotten our hands on some ducats, it's tough to say what would have cost more: a tank of gas or admission to the nose-bleed section of any National Hockey League arena.) Instead, we turned to Franklin Sports, Stoughton, Mass., for a pair of nifty products.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

For indoors, there is the Shot Zone Mini Rink Set ($149.99) and for outdoors there is the Street Rink Starter Set ($299.99). Both provide the key ingredient to any successful hockey game--boards. Indoors, balls forever are being chased down or lost under furniture, behind armchairs, in couch cushions, etc. Outdoors, whether it be roller, street, or dek hockey, the ball inevitably is finding its way down the block, in the garden, or on...