Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl wants to attend the Stanley Cup Finals, but isn't yet sure how that can happen.

"I'd like to go," he said of the Saturday night face-off between the Penguins and the Red Wings, in Detroit. "I have asked [the city Law Department] for guidance" on whether he should pay for tickets, travel and lodging out of personal funds, campaign money or otherwise.

He has ruled out the use of any public money on what, arguably, could be called official business.

He probably can't accept tickets provided by the Penguins or any other party with business before the city because of a city ethics code provision limiting officials to taking $100 worth of cultural or athletic tickets from any entity per year, and $250 worth of such tickets total.

"I've used the [Sports & Exhibition Authority] tickets for all of my trips to Penguins games this year," the mayor said, referring to a pool of tickets allocated to the SEA, which owns Mellon Arena.

He agreed that the appearance in the finals is an event at which the city should be represented. "I think it is important for the mayor to be there and support the team and their efforts, but that also has to be balanced with the realities of the political climate that we're in today and some of the issues that have been raised," he said Monday, referring to a brouhaha over his attendance last year at a high-dollar charity golf event as a guest of the Penguins and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato said Monday that he will "try to make" some finals games. "A lot of times, because of being the county executive, or being the mayor, with the Sports & Exhibition Authority, we might go and represent the region at some of these games."