There will be some changes next year in high school hockey, mainly in Division I with the additions of Windham (OK, most sports) and Bow (really?). But here’s hoping that both Alvirne and Milford urge the NHIAA to somehow avoid placing their co-op team in Division I just because it’s where the combined enrollment places them.

The Broncos were paired with Pelham a few years ago and clearly still weren’t able to compete in Division I. Souhegan has had great hockey pedigree, yet when combined with Nashua North, definitely not able to do it in Division I.

That’s not a criticism; it’s just the way it is. And thus you’d have to think the players from Milford, as good as they are expected to be, still won’t be ready for that level of competition, even combined with the Broncos, who still failed to make the Division II tourney. If the NHIAA forces the Alvirne-Milford union to play in Divison I, they are making a big mistake. …

Congrats to Matt Neverett, son of Nashua’s Tim Neverett, the Red Sox/WEEI radio play-by-play broadcaster. Matt will be calling the games for the Bradenton Marauders, the Pittsburgh Pirates’ advanced Single A team in the Florida State League. “They had over 100 applicants,” Tim Neverett said. “But the GM told me that once they took my name out of the equation,(Tim had been a Pirates broadcaster for several years), that when he was a finalist he was clearly the best candidate.”

Matt Neverett helped broadcast Nashua Silver Knights games in 2016 and last year was the media relations manager for the Double A Birmingham Barons (Double A White Sox). This off-season he broadcast local games for Nashua E-TV and hosted a Saturday morning sports show for WSMN radio. …

One more hockey note:

Conway Arena will have one more local high school game on Saturday at 3 p.m.

It will be the Battle For The Golden Skate between the Merrimack Fire and Police Departments vs. members of the Merrimack High School team.

Proceeds will benefit the Special Olympics.

A good game for a good cause, but we want to see Nashua High School alum and Merrimack coach Dan Belliveau back between the pipes. A perfect game for it, right Coach?