New Hampshire high school hockey, especially locally, had the stage all to itself for 10 days with the boys and girls tournaments.

That was because of the experimental condensed Division I, Division II and, to some extent, Division III basketball schedules that ended their seasons before Presidents Day in February.

It just didn’t seem normal, and it probably won’t be that way next year.

Wrestling ended with the New Englands, but its two big events, the Division Meets and Meet of Champions were done. Bowling, skiing, gymnastics, swimming were all wrapped up.

Hockey’s title quadruple header at Manchester’s SNHU Arena on March 12 – the first one in three years – had the spotlight to itself.

Too bad there were no local teams set to be involved. Last year there were umpteen title games on the same day with basketball and hockey, but of course those were under different circumstances with the pandemic and the venues involved.

Did the sport take advantage of it? It depends.

The atmosphere was great for the Bishop Guertin boys prelim win over Pinkerton on March 2 at Skate 3, and there was a good crowd for the Cardinals girls hockey quarterfinal win at Hudson’s Cyclones Arena on March 5

The BG-Bedford boys Division I quarterfinal on March 5 had a great crowd – that Saint A’s Sullivan Arena atmosphere is always good – and then at Conway Arena in Nashua, the Hollis Brookline-Derryfield showdown had a good crowd for a great game that went to overtime.

And there was student support on a lousy travel night March 9 at Plymouth State, but alas, Hollis Brookline-Derryfield fell to Belmont-Gilford to end their season.

It was a little disappointing up at Concord’s Everett Arena on March 8 for the girls semis. Plenty of adults, but on a school night with a venue 40 minutes out of town for both BG and Hanover, not many if any students.

“It was the last sport going of the winter sports,” Cards girls coach Phil DeVita said before Guertin fell in the semis to Hanover. “The girls were excited, they earned the spot, they earned it last year and it’s tough to get this far. I know with all the sports being over, that they’re excited when they’re in school, people are talking, their teachers, and there’s a little buzz there and I think that’s great for the team, great for everybody, the attention their getting is well deserved.”

Football gets this spotlight every fall, as all the other sports are done by the time the football semis and title games come around.

This week, with hockey, it was game on, and the only game in town to boot. Hope you got to see it.

Tom King can be reached at tking@nashuatelegraph.com, or on twitter

@Telegraph _TomK.