The basketball tournaments are here (finally) and the hockey season is entering its final full week of the regular season. It’s a great time of year for all you winter sports fans.

For high school hockey fans, there are plenty of key/intriguing games this week ripe with playoff implications. None is bigger than Wednesday late afternoon in Sukee Arena, when old foes Winslow (12-4-1) and Waterville (12-5-1) get together. The game starts at 5:10 p.m., weather permitting. Yes, snow is in the forecast late Tuesday into Wednesday, but Waterville coach Dennis Martin said it’s going to take “something big” for the game to be postponed.

One reason is that there may not be another open date to make up the game. The last possible makeup date is Tuesday, Feb. 19, and both teams face scheduling dilemmas.
Waterville plays Friday against Bangor and closes the regular season against visiting Lewiston on Monday, Feb. 18. Winslow squares off against Gardiner in a pivotal Eastern B showdown on Saturday. That leaves Feb. 19 as the only open date for each team, and that is far from appealing for each team.

Elsewhere this week, Cony and Lawrence will face off in a big Eastern A game Saturday at 7:40 p.m. in Sukee Arena. The Bulldogs are red-hot, winning their last three games, including victories against Messalonskee, Brewer and Brunswick. Cony is fighting for its playoff life, as it sits in ninth place in the Eastern A Heal points. Only nine teams will qualify for the postseason.

Cony hosts Messalonskee on Wednesday at 7 p.m. as well.

Let’s see, oh, as mentioned earlier, Gardiner and Winslow play Saturday at Sukee Arena (5:10 p.m.) in what could be a preview of the Eastern B final.

Let’s drop the puck(s) already ...