During the most intense week in Blue Jackets history, coach Ken Hitchcock gave his players a homework assignment Monday.

Captain Rick Nash was asked to study Detroit Red Wings winger Dan Cleary, Jason Williams was told to read up on Kris Draper, Jason Chimera was assigned Jiri Hudler and Michael Peca drew Valtteri Filppula.

"I haven't done a book report in a while," Chimera joked. "Maybe since high school."

But that, essentially, was the homework given by professor Hitchcock.

Every player was asked to use the Internet, get advice from friends who play in the NHL or try any means necessary to learn specific details about Red Wings players.

The Blue Jackets shared their reports in a lengthy team meeting yesterday.

Hitchcock refused to discuss it after practice, but it's believed the idea was to further personalize the one-on-one matchups that will play out when the Blue Jackets play the Red Wings in a best-of-seven first-round series in the Stanley Cup playoffs beginning Thursday at Detroit.

"I've never done it before, and I've never heard of it being done," Nash said. "But it was interesting. It helps us to know our opponents just that much better."

As in any classroom, there were side deals, shortcuts and shenanigans.

Defenseman Mike Commodore did his report on Nicklas Lidstrom. He also did his defense partner Jan Hejda's report on Brian Rafalski.

"Jan's got a family and dogs and all kinds of stuff going on," Commodore said. "So I helped him out a bit.

"It wasn't hard to find information on those guys. I did some things on what I've noticed playing against them through the years, and I wrote down some stats, too. I could have been writing all day on Lidstrom. Rafalski's not too shabby, either."

Hitchcock went line by line and pair by pair, having his players study opponents they're likely to see frequently on the ice.

Fourth-liner Derek Dorsett, for instance, studied Detroit fourth-liner Tomas Kopecky. Goaltender Steve Mason investigated Red Wings goalie Chris Osgood.

"All they had to do was ask me," said Williams, who spent parts of six seasons with the Red Wings from 2000 to 2007. "I know most of those guys pretty well."

Players and coaches were mum about what was said in the meeting, though Chimera offered, "It's hard to pick out bad things about the Detroit Red Wings."

aportzline@dispatch.com